Marinus and Luca remained for three days at the rock. During that time, the deal with the chief mermaid of the village was ironed out.
The mermaids had made Marinus prove that he could do dual enchantments by himself, and he did so. As he waited, he enchanted some things in exchange for information.
As it happens, Alba had not just run off. She was seen heavily wounded with tar clinging to her skin. The last spot they had seen her at was not far from the village, in fact.
Marinus left Luca at the rock and, with a mermaid escort, swam towards where the sea witch was last seen.
The water was dark with magic around them. What they found was a corpse of a pale woman with stingray fins. Marinus searched her but couldn't find any rings, much less the life-enchanting rings.
"The dungeon must have stolen them from her, and she must have tried to retrieve them," Marinus said to the mermaids.
"She needs a proper burial," one of the mermaid huntresses said.
