"No," Farah countered, holding tightly to Saul. "We aren't. Not if we play our cards right." She looked over at the demigod and faerie king with a new tone of leadership and authority to her voice that she hadn't had in years. "I know Rosalind better than any of us. I know the way she thinks, the way she acts, and the way she fights."
Argentum shakes his head. "I saw something, all the way at the back. More like sensed. It radiates hate and dark mgic like a sun, Farah. We do not want to meet it. It feels. . . familiar. You know the story of the Mist Courts, yes? How the Seelie and Unseelie Courts were sundered, fractured, and how the pieces formed my realm? This energy feels like that, only worse."
Qûs'ÿltn looks shocked, and stares at Argentum. "You. . . were there?"
Argentum sighs. "Yes, Qûs'ÿltn. I was. Count your stars you weren't."
Farah frowned slightly, and her eyes changed colors as she accessed her magic. It took her a few moments to expand that far, but her breath hitched when she reached it. "I feel it too," she whispered. "It's strong… it couldn't be Rosalind, could it?" She stiffened at the thought. "She's not that powerful… is she?"
Argentum shakes his head. "She's closer to the front. There's hate there. yes, but not as much as that thing at the back. She couldn't have caused the Sundering, anyways. That was long before she'd ever been thought of in the world."
Qûs'ÿltn cuts straight to the point. "Then we need to find out who the hell it actually is, and go from there. And do our best to not die."
"Obviously not, that isn't what I meant. I have no idea what magic she's been studying since I left," Farah said, and she nodded in agreement with Qûs'ÿltn. "I can handle Rosalind. I just need you two to handle… whatever dark thing that is."
Argentum sighs. "I know. But I'm pretty sure I have some inkling. Half of that army isn't even a part of this world. That requires Bindings and Summonings of the highest level, especially for beings like the ones she has. There's marids and afrits there, mixed with djinn and demons."
Qûs'ÿltn snorts. "Like that'll stop any of us from killing the toe-suckers."
He looks at Farah, surprised, then smirks. "Well, a wonderful day this is. She agreed with me."
Argentum sighs. "Very well."
He dissolves into a silvery white mist that travels quickly along the ground towards the encroaching army.
Farah rolled her eyes. "Oh, please," she muttered. "Agreeing with you isn't the end of the world." She watched Argentum turn to mist and traveled quickly. "Godspeed," she breathed.
Qûs'ÿltn chuckles. "No. It's the beggining of a new one."
He salutes Saul and Farah. "Godspeed to you, too."
Then he follows after Argentum. An hour later, the sounds of fighting can be heard. And then a blinding explosion of light and darkness erupts nearly 4 hours after that, sending Qûs'ÿltn and Argentum through the air, back to Saul and Farah. Argentum lands first, his silvery-white ichor staining the ground, causing strange flowers to twirl up and bloom. Qûs'ÿltn lands heavily behind Argentum, his red blood revealed for the world to see. His blood was Fae blood, not the ichor anybody expected. He chuckles at Farah.
"I guess my secret has been revealed, huh?" he murmurs.
Farah knelt beside him, her eyes widening at the sight of his red Fae blood. "You never fail to surprise me, that's for sure," she murmured, reaching out and touching her fingers near the wound. "Hold still." Her eyes glowed as she channeled her magic and let the healing power flow from her into him.
Qûs'ÿltn laughs. "I live to surprise people, m'lady."
Groaning, he sits up, then looks over at Argentum.
"Fix him. Please." he murmurs, a pleading tone entering his voice as he checks the fallen Fae King's pulse.
Farah did as Qûs'ÿltn said, hurrying to Argentum's side and pressing her fingertips to his temple. She inhaled shakily from the effort as she pushed herself and her majic.
Slowly, Argentum's color returns, turning from a sort of glassy statues back to his normal look. As he tries to get up, his hood falls back, revealing his face for once. And it was the spitting image of Qûs'ÿltn's. They both wince and look at Farah.
"Well. . ." Argentum murmurs. "She knows you're Fae. And she knows about us now."
Qûs'ÿltn chuckles and nods, laying back down. "Not exactly a surprise. Someone would have found out eventually."
Argentum groans. "Fair enough."
Farah blinked and took a step back, startled. Saul put his hand on her shoulder to steady her, and he asked the question before she could: "Wait… what's going on?"
Argentum sighs. "What do you think is going on, Saul?"
Qûs'ÿltn winces again, and places a hand on Argenum's shoulder. "King Argentum of the Mist Courts is my father. I thought you would have guessed, considering how similar we look."
Farah's mouth dropped open slightly. "Your… father? And so you're Fae, truly… then why did you pretend to be a demigod? And that's how you knew the spirits left! In the woods! Dear gods, why didn't I put it together sooner?"
Qûs'ÿltn snorts. "I am. No shit, Farah. How did it take this long?"
Argentum nods shortly. "He is. Just because he's Fae doesn't mean he can't also be a demigod."
"Hey, watch your mouth." Saul narrowed his eyes as he defended Farah.
Farah arched her eyebrows. "You're immensely powerful… Fae and a demigod… How interesting…"
Qûs'ÿltn snorts at Saul. "She's used to my cursing. Trust me on this, Fuckboy."
Argentum slaps Qûs'ÿltn upside the head. "Ey, what have I said about the names?"
Qûs'ÿltn just laughs. "I'm not a kid anymore."
He then turns to Farah. "Yeah. And the thing is? The Fae form change should have alerted you."
Saul growled quietly, but Farah put her arm out.
"Don't," she whispered before turning to Argentum and frowning. "It must be something with my magic having interfered… you're right, that should have been the first tip-off…"
Qûs'ÿltn grins mischeviously at Saul, letting him know that he's just playing.
"Or maybe it's the thing at the back of that army," Argentum murmurs. "Something about it mutes magical auras. The telltale feeling and scent of Fae magic was covered up by that thing's black aura."
He had finally gotten around to the thing. "Farah. We are no match for it. We need to go."
Farah tensed at his words. We are no match for it. She shuddered, and Saul rubbed her back gently. Now, more than ever, she was grateful for his support. "Then who is?" she demanded suddenly. "There must be someone! Dear gods, Rosalind has to be manipulating it somehow!"
Argentum shakes his head slowly. "You know the name Typhon, yes?"
Qûs'ÿltn is silent, listening.
Farah nodded hesitantly. "I believe so."
"We are facing up against the very thing made to kill the gods, Farah," Argentum murmurs. "What makes you think that if I, one of the oldest Fae still alive, don't dare to fight it, that anyone else will?"
"But how is Rosalind controlling it?" Farah demanded. "It doesn't just work for people at will. Especially not fairies, I would presume."