Viren felt something vile in the pit of his stomach as he returned to the mirror. He didn't like Aaravos - he didn't trust the cecaelia or his clear attempts at manipulation. But with nothing else left to him but the carnivore's company, he found himself slinking back not two weeks after he'd last stormed out.
Aaravos was at the desk in his room, eyes closed as he viewed a memory crystal.
The mer didn't want to call out - he didn't want to admit he was so starved for company he would seek it from someone so distasteful. Was he so weak he couldn't even last half a year on his own? He'd been out of Katolis for only a few months, and even when he was still living inside the kingdom, people had teased him for being a recluse.
He didn't want to admit he missed other people - especially his children. Viren had always prided himself on his self-reliance - or rather, that he was the one others relied on. He disliked realizing he relied on others more than he'd assumed.
Aaravos peeked an eye open while the mer was lost in thought - but rather than approach the mirror with his usual smug attitude, he simply closed his eye again to resume watching.
"I didn't expect someone claiming to be ancient to be so immature as to pout," Viren scoffed.
The cecaelia continued to ignore him and the jibe.
With a sigh, the mer said, "Viren."
"Viren," Aaravos purred the name like he was sampling delicious food, entire countenance shifting as his smirk returned. He sent the crystal back to its alcove with the wave of his hand, half swimming, half crawling to the mirror in fluid, graceful movements, "And what is it you wish of me for that information, Viren? How may I serve you?"
The mer scoffed, clasping his hands behind his back, "What happened to this place?"
"The other Xadians discovered my 'many perversions' and came in force to destroy my work," the cecaelia said, resting his chin in one hand with a faux thoughtful expression, "I did the job for them and allowed time for my students to escape. Neater that way. Of course, since I had helped drive mer across the Trench, I was also labeled a traitor."
"Why would you-" Viren paused, realizing Aaravos had given him more information than he'd asked for.
The cecaelia smirked, arching a brow in expectation.
The mer thought his answer through, "I doubt you destroyed the memory crystals of your lessons to be neat, carnivore."
"Oh?" Aaravos asked.
"More likely you didn't want others to use the information against you," Viren scoffed - it was why he would have done the same. He considered what to tell the cecaelia to keep the conversation going - he doubted there was much of magic he could divulge that the carnivore didn't already know. He was hesitant to speak of his personal life - personal information was dangerous in the wrong hands, even for an exile.
"Katolis," Aaravos prompted instead, "Is a mer kingdom? The mer have kingdoms now?"
The mer relaxed - of course, the cecaelia didn't know about recent history. Perhaps he was cut off somehow - in any case, it gave Viren something safe to discuss, "Yes, five. Katolis is the largest - the others are Neolandia, Duren, Del Bar, and Evenere."
"I helped drive mer across the Trench because I was asked, and because they would be destroyed if they fought their exile," the cecaelia answered, "Who rules your mer kingdoms?"
"King Harrow rules Katolis," Viren replied, strangely at ease with the conversation, "Duren is ruled by Queen Aanya, Neolandia by King Ahling, Del Bar by King Florian, and Evernere by Queen Fareeda. Where are you now?"
He had never been… good at talking to people. He found most of them too… frankly, unintelligent to keep up with him, or interested in only meaningless mundanities. While there was nothing too intellectual about the content of this exchange, the guarded, give-and-take nature of the dialogue kept the mer invested. That, and he wasn't expected to be polite.
"My home, also outside the Reef," Aaravos smiled slyly, "This King Harrow is the best friend who's mate was slain by Thunder?"
Viren stiffened at the sudden shift to personal - it seemed the damned carnivore was still just toying with him for amusement. The mer grit his teeth, then huffed, "Your answer is insufficient for that question."
The cecaelia chuckled, "I am, like you, an exile - though I had set up the grotto in which I currently reside as a contingency for when my 'treachery' was eventually discovered. Dragons sometimes come to check if I am causing mischief, but they never discover any."
Though that does not mean you are not causing it, the mer thought, frowning before sighing, "Yes, Harrow was my best friend, and Thunder killed his mate."
"And what information would you require to tell me why Thunder slayed a mer king's mate?" Aaravos asked.
Viren considered the question, swimming around the room in a slow circuit as he thought. He was still uncomfortable revealing personal information, but… if Aaravos was as old as he claimed, surely there was much knowledge to be gained from him. If the mer was careful, he could…
Could what? he huffed to himself, You aren't allowed to use magic. You're banished from your home. What could you possibly do with any information you gain here?
Still, a question did come to mind - information he could use.
Coming back to the mirror, he asked, "Is there a cure to dark magic corruption?"
Aaravos hadn't moved, simply watching him with amusement - and his expression didn't change as he said, "No."
Viren pretended he wasn't disappointed - of course, such a thing was impossible. All power had a price, and his body was the price of dark magic.
"But there is a treatment," the cecaelia added, "It will not restore your body to what it was before, but it can make the effects less… severe."
"Does it require magic?" the mer asked, wondering if he was pushing his luck without answering back first.
One corner of Aaravos's smirk tilted up a bit further for a moment before he replied, "No."
Viren refrained himself from grumbling before holding up his end of the arrangement, "Some years ago, there were food shortages in the mer kingdoms. Duren suffered the worst, but Harrow-" he hesitated, "-the King pledged to share Katolis's resources anyways."
He has always been too kind for his own good, the mer thought - with a new bitter edge replacing the old fondness. Or perhaps simply existing alongside it, only fresher.
"I proposed an alternative," Viren said, "A spell which would increase our production tenfold. But it required the heart of a monster that lives in Xadia."
"Where mer are still forbidden," Aaravos said, barely a question.
Viren nodded, circuiting the room again as he remembered it, "We decided it was worth the risk to save our peoples. So the King, his mate Sarai, her sister Amaya, myself, and the former Queens of Duren - Annika and Neha - crossed the Trench. We found the beast, took its heart… and Thunder found us as we made our way to return."
The mer stilled, closing his eyes as the memory of that time crashed over him. He'd nearly died himself that day, and then all would have been for naught. Yet still, he regretted the death his plan had caused - even if it did save so many others.
"The queens all perished, allowing the rest of us to return and save our peoples," Viren said, returning to the mirror.
"It sounds like you only did what was necessary," Aaravos said, "Perhaps if Thunder had merely stopped to question your band…"
"I don't need a carnivore to tell me that," Viren snapped, desiring no praise from the clearly dangerous cecaelia.
"Temper, temper," Aaravos chuckled, "I only meant to commend your wisdom, little fish."
"You know my name," the mer seethed.
"True, but you don't seem to like me using it," the cecaelia replied coolly.
Viren took a deep breath to get his irritation under control, closing his eyes briefly before feeling sure enough to ask, "And what would you ask of me to reveal the dark magic treatment?"
"It is going to be rather costly," Aaravos said, though his tone suggested that was true only from Viren's perspective.
"Well go on," the mer said, crossing his arms.
"Tell me about your family, Viren," the cecaelia said, "Who did you leave behind? Children? A mate?"
The mer's frown deepened, "No."
Aaravos looked delighted by the refusal, "Well then, I suppose you will have to suffer needlessly."
"I do not consider protecting my family needless suffering," Viren replied, tail swishing in irritation, "It is entirely necessary."
The cecaelia chuckled, "Necessary suffering?"
"That is not-" the mer sighed, "I will not be baited by you."
"You think I'm baiting you?" Aaravos asked unrepentantly.
Viren glared instead of deigning the question with an answer.
The cecaelia regarded him shrewdly for a few minutes before speaking again, "Do you believe you should be punished?"
"Excuse me?" the mer asked icily.
"Do you believe you are deserving of punishment?" Aaravos rephrased, tilting his head, "You make no apologies for pragmaticism, and yet… here you are."
"If my exile protects Katolis, I will accept it," Viren replied.
"Ah, I see," the cecaelia smirked, "You are not a masochist, but a martyr."
"I am merely willing to pay the price in order to do what must be done," the mer refuted, anger rising again at the mocking tone and look, "I would think the self-proclaimed inventor of dark magic would understand that everything has a cost."
Aaravos hummed, tilting his head the other way, "I have decided."
"This was a mistake," Viren muttered, turning to leave.
"Many things come with a cost, but not everything must," the cecaelia said, "The treatment - half a day's swim west, you'll find a series of shallow caves full of volcanic steam. It's far enough from the source that it will not burn you. Cut strips of kelp, and take them with you. Put them in the caves, and leave them for three days to absorb the energy there. In the meantime, mix the seagrass and sand from that area into a paste. When the kelp is ready, spread the paste onto yourself, and wrap the kelp over it. Leave it for at least twenty minutes a day - at least, starting out with your level of corruption."
The mer fought the urge to look back. It was a lie - the carnivore had given nothing for free so far, why start now?
"Do not toy with me," Viren bit out. I have already lost so much. At least leave me my pride.
"I am not. I have decided to serve you, Viren," Aaravos said, "No more need for exchange - whatever you wish to know, I will tell you. Try the treatment, and see for yourself if I am being honest."
The mer left the room without answering, already knowing he would be unable to resist at least trying. He had nothing better to do, and likely the cecaelia was aiming to laugh at him - not kill him. He seemed to amuse Aaravos, and you couldn't laugh at a dead man.
I will try, and I will confirm that he is nothing more than a liar, Viren decided, And then I will speak to him no more.