Chapter 49: Brothers

Syryn had skipped classes yet again to bask under the sunlight with Red who was reclined next to him.

"I knew you were pathetic Syryn, just not how much. Throw your pity party when I'm not around." Red was sipping on a glass of fruit juice that was as red as his hair. The sun was out bright enough to blind them both so the boys had retreated to a shadier part of the terrace where the boughs of the giant tree protected them from direct sunlight.

"Go suck on Traxdart's club if you hate being around me so much," Syryn avoided looking at Red so he could continue to imagine that he was speaking to the older Lucien.

"I would, if only to get away from the stench of self pity that's wafting off you like a drenched mongrel." It sounded wrong coming from the child so Syryn decided to be the bigger person.

"As opposed to the smell of baby and milk I'm always having to wash off myself after you cling to me like a needy toddler?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Red's face. "You're wrong big brother, I smell like fire and panther musk."

"You're disgusting." The meaning of Red's words hadn't escaped Syryn. "I hope Luci doesn't learn your pervy ways."

The redhead reclined on his folding chair with a smugness that made Syryn's fingers itch. "I can't help it that Magnus thinks I'm a baby to be hugged and squeezed. He doesn't realise he's leaving his scent all over me." Small jade like fingers grabbed his glass for another sip. "Everybody likes Luci. It's a side effect of being this cute."

"You are a piece of trash that's using Luci."

Red snorted at that, "curb your envy big brother. You'd use every weapon in your arsenal too if you were me. You're just not cute enough and it irks you that I can get away with things you can't. And here's a fact, I AM Luci."

Red was an annoying piece of shit and Syryn wanted to throttle him. Would Magnus suspect him if Lucien went missing for a few weeks? "Red, let's explore my new house."

"Later. Alka's delinquent boyfriend is arriving to drop off a pot. I've been asked to intercept it."

"Excuse me?!" Syryn fumbled for words. "Who and what?!"

Red gave Syryn a withering look and hopped off his chair. With a flick of his hair, the little boy went off to the table for a refill of his juice glass. Tiny strawberries painted to the glass evoked a cuteness that enhanced Lucien's natural charm.

"Red, get over here and explain."

Lucien was barefoot - his white little toes with their neatly clipped nails padded across the wood floor softly.

"A delightfully handsome thing that reeks of the sacred incense used by the hypocrites of Saint's Moon," Red lifted a corner of his mouth in a scornful smile. "I don't think I've ever met a priest quite like him."

Syryn's memory of the corpse tree was jogged. It had to be the same priest. "That sounds like a compliment."

"It is."

"I'm concerned."

"Do tell."

"Alka is a danger to himself. Can you imagine what sort of life-threatening scenarios they might get into together?"

"Eos bless," Red replied flatly. "I'm out of juice."

"No one cares."

"Who asked you?"

The passive aggressive replies were annoying Syryn more than they had any right to. When the bell rang, he jumped out of his seat to take a look at the priest that Alka was supposedly chummy with.

"You're not Lucien." A purple-eyed priest blinked down at Syryn, smile freezing. The shorter boy noted the ash-coloured hair that brushed his shoulders. A black jewel was embedded in the centre of the priest's forehead. Syryn recognised that jewel and thus its owner. Red had been right about the delinquent part. This was a priest who operated under his own rules.

"Qairu, I'm here," Red smiled cutely at the priest who mirrored it with his own wide smile. Squatting down to Lucien's eye level, Qairu affectionately pulled the child's cheek. "I've got something good for you, Luci."

Syryn was ignored by the two boys. When did this weird priest get close to his Luci? And who gave him the right to call him Luci?!

"Oi, that's my brother you're getting friendly with," Syryn warned with a sourness that came from the jealousy he was feeling.

The priest looked up at Syryn's face with surprise. "Adopted?"

A vein popped on Syryn's forehead. Was this priest calling him too ugly to be Lucien's brother?!

"Yes," the redhead supplied, sounding like he had received a birthday present.

"I should just dump you back on the street I found you at," Syryn growled at the grinning boy.

"That's okay, big bro Qairu will take me," Red hugged the priest's neck and acted cute. "Right?"

"Sure," the priest cocked his head and smiled at Syryn, a trace of confusion in his eyes.

At this point, the adulterous couple was outside the door so Syryn grabbed the pot of soil on the floor and turned to them, "I guess one mage's trash is another priest's treasure then," and the door was slammed shut in their faces.

Syryn headed off to the kitchen leaving behind the sound of amused laughter that drifted from the door. Qairu had a rich laugh that made its listeners think of buttery smooth desserts.

When the bell chimed again, Syryn vindictively ignored it in lieu of eating the cake that Lucien had been saving for later. It was a tart thing with plenty of cream and preserved fruit between its decadent layers.

Syryn was at the last bite when the door was blasted down. He smirked at the freezing cold breeze that wafted into the kitchen through the hallway. What a day! How would Red explain away his destruction of the door to Magnus and Alka?

"You're dead!" Red pointed at Syryn whose pink tongue was licking the last bits of cream off the cake box.

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"Hey Kailee, control your new pet," Syryn called out to the priest who had sauntered over to the kitchen. There was a gleam of interest in his eyes. Even the quirk of his lips revealed the endless amusement he was having at the expense of the brothers.

"It's Qairu," he leaned on the doorway with folded arms. There was no reply in defence of Red's new role as a pet. His eyes were opened to the hidden nature of Lucien, one so far-flung from the cute image that Red had been peddling.

"Kyree got it." Syryn wasn't ashamed of copying Vincent. This was fun.

"Spit it out," Red demanded with venom. "Spit the cake out."

"Stupid little strawberry, the cake is inside here now." Syryn rubbed his tummy with satisfaction.

"I know exactly where it is. If I don't get to eat it, neither do you!" The redhead had already exposed himself as a brat to the priest so there was no sense pretending otherwise. "I'm telling Magnus you ate it. And don't call me strawberry!"

"Go ahead. I'm not scared of your guard dog." The constipated feelings that had been suffocating Syryn were beginning to clear out. A fight was all he had needed.

"Oh right, you've got not one but two sugar daddies to defend you. I forgot. What is it like being tossed about by two anti mages?"

How the hell did everyone know what was going on? Syryn wondered. "It's kinda fun shortcake. But I'm worried about a child-like you saying such provocative things, in front of a priest no less."

The burst of aborted laughter that came from Qairu sobered the brothers.

With a shot of barely controlled ice at Syryn, Lucien walked off to the terrace with as much dignity as he could afford. The child was powerful but he still hadn't mastered the new elements that were imbibed by his core. Ice, darkness, fire - the same as Syryn - were his elements. Lucien however still had his demonic powers to rely on if he was in a pinch.

"Syryn, tell Alka I dropped by with the pot of grave soil," Qairu informed the mage.

"Fine."

"I'll see you next time then." The priest smiled disarmingly at the mage.

"No need to threaten me. Just leave." Syryn replied testily.

"As you wish." The priest whose mood was un-dampened by Syryn's retort exited the home being occupied by two antsy brothers. It had been an interesting time spent with the boy who had defeated the champion of winter fortress. Qairu fiercely regretted skipping the matches - especially now after meeting Syryn.

"I'm leaving to check on my new home. Fancy a walk?" Syryn shouted up the staircase that led to the terrace.

"How far away is it?" Red yelled back.

"I don't know."

"If you get us lost I-"

"I won't get us lost. Have more faith in me."

Twilight had arrived and the lost boys were still on the streets.

"Syryn, I want to go home." Luci sadly mumbled into Syryn's shoulder. The little boy was tired and getting piggybacked by his brother. Red had disappeared in a huff of rage when he realised that Syryn had gotten them lost.

"Me too." The mage replied. His stomach was growling with hunger.

"I'm hungry, Syryn."

The alchemist made a note to store more dry food in his satchel for future emergencies. There was none left after he had divided the last pieces of cookies between them.

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I should have known better."

Syryn had given up on being found so he entered the forest with Lucien to cook up some of the raw food that was stored in his satchel. The boys ate a hurried meal and set up camp in the jungle like old times.

"Magnus and Alka are probably worried about us.." Syryn told the boy who was sleepily snuggled in his arms. "Missing boys and a broken door... I can't imagine what they're going to think."

"No shit," Red snarked. He was back.

"Trash should just stay hidden," Syryn weakly replied.

Red had gone through all the stages of frustration at Syryn - Disbelief, anger, fury, and now resignation. "What's the address to your new house?"

"Behind Orange garden, next to an oxbow lake on the south side of Birdcage mine."

The redhead stared at Syryn with something close to pain in his expression. "Even I know that Orange garden is on the other side of town. You've brought us to the complete opposite side! Is that head of yours filled with nothing but potion recipes?!" Red shrieked with his child-like voice. "you're so stupid!"

"Stop yelling," Syryn growled. "We're lost, yelling won't help!"

"And not yelling won't either so shut up and follow me you directionally challenged- how did you not get lost at Maple or Elysium market?!" Red roared at the alchemist.

"What makes you think I didn't get lost there a hundred times in the past?!" Syryn roared back. "I ended up confused and stuck around the market for a week before I got rescued by Yusa and her cohorts! Traxdart thought I had been kidnapped!! I am good at finding my way, just not inside unfamiliar human settlements okay?!!"

Red was ashamed to be associated with this pathetic excuse of a demon. He aimed the highest amount of scorn that was possible at the alchemist. "Just stop talking," he begged. Syryn had humiliated himself enough for the day. "And follow me."

"Don't get us lost," Syryn petulantly grumbled. It was an embarrassing situation all around.

"Choke on the irony of that statement, Nigh'hart, and drop dead while you're at it."

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