Excerpt: Fae-by Gate

"Whatever Fae attempted to start this fire is gone. Call your shield maiden sisters to reinforce the Amazons. You and the rest of your warriors, coordinate with Lady Falcon and our Kitsune associate. I want all Sacred Groves protected by only those who have experience fighting Fae."

"I still do not answer t-" 

"Stop testing my patience, it's well used up." Whether wisdom prevailed or Ares' tone threatened too much violence for the Falcon to stomach, the warrior woman bowed in an approximation of reverence before taking to the air as a golden falcon on a swift wind. "Icarus." 

"Yes, magnus pater?" The electronic undulation of Icarus' voice echoed through a microphone on Ares' collar, a slight comfort knowing no matter his trials, there were two children left at home who needed a grandfather's guidance.

"Call my sons. Fill Caleb in, a firestarter Fae with a willow's crown."

 

"Ah... ya know I think we got this one, it seems like we gotta put Fae-by gates around the Sacred Groves and bing bang boom, they're..." 

"Icarus."

 

"... maybe electrified or such, plants hate electricity. Oh yeah! Remember that time I tried to solve the invasive knotweed problem with a taser?"

"Icarus." Ares growled.

"Fae-by Gate?" The Kitsune's ears flicked as they pulled out a fan to hide the silent laugh pouring out of their throat.  

"Like baby gate but for Fae, 'cause bae rhymes with fae and I thought it'd be cute and..." 

"Child! What reason do you have to stall?" Alcippe ran her hand over her hair, leaning into the small comm on her father's collar. 

"Oh hey Grandma! How's it going? I mean I knew you were there, but you're acknowledging me and ya called me child instead of daughter and that's right cool of you and..."

"Hush child, call the Judge we desire to speak with him. It is a matter of urgency." 

"Ya did it again, woohoo! Aw dat's precious, you'll get the whole non-binary pronoun thing in no time, I mean maybe no time for us since... hah... we're both over three thousand..." As Icarus babbled, Ares cleared his throat, the steady tap of his boot on the soil enough to puff some dirt up in a miniature cloud. "... I can't call Caleb. He and Tuija are busy-busy. Like... defcon we gotta throw them a 'how dare you not invite us' or 'congratulations' party busy." 

"A pardon?" 

"No force in the universe can get me to call my girlfriend's Pub Mom in the middle of her impromptu nuptials. Sorry! Not gonna do it! No way, not for all the microchips in the macrocosm, not happening, nuh-uh." The torrent of words stopped abrupt as the shock across Ares' cheeks. 

"Nuptials? Does Caleb think he's made of time?" Ares spat, was the Judge taking none of this sincerely?

"Surpriiiise." Icarus' voice garbled with the rustle of fingers on keys, "Yeah, you should probably hurry. Deimos and Phobos are still moving at break-other-people's-necks speed and as much as it might cause my ears to bleed, I'll keep Daedalus.AI on the lovebirds to tell you when they're copacetic with the outside world thing. It was a moment, but rest assured, Caleb is taking this whole shindig pretty hard. He's not slacking off, Tuija got hurt, and then... it ah... give them an hour, eh? A couple? They need this, Pappos, and if they need it, I'll defend their need for it." 

"Th-thank you, Icarus." 

"Did the voice on your shoulder say Thor's grandson got... married?" The Einherjar shifted closer to Ares, the Dane Axe on his back, and Bogatyr by his side.

"To Dravanova? Eh! This makes us family! If! She were not banished for being a cursed traitor for refusing to die in a heroic act of self-sacrifice instead of turning into our hated enemy, oh and if your Thor's grandson was not perpetually kept from any meeting of his family by the jilted angry god Raynar Thorson." 

"Einridsen." 

"Будьте здоровы. Be healthy, my friend." The Bogatyr slapped the Einherjar's shoulder with a stern nod. 

"Thank y-I did not sneeze! That is his name! Einridsen!" 

"Будьте здоровы."

"Einridi! The one who rides alone! Einridi's son! Einridsen! Son of he who rides alone!" 

"Eh, I like Ivan. Ivan is a solid name. Ivanov. Rolls off the tongue." 

"Always the Bogatyr with Ivan. Tyr, please, take me with you." The Einherjar shook his head, the pitiful quiver under his beard enough to snap Ares back into the surreality of the situation. Caleb and Tuija spent valuable time to get married, telling no one, while Deimos and Phobos were on a war path through Midgard to capture this Stana, who unbeknownst to the Council, the Truce at large or Caleb himself, stole the Book of Knowledge. A willow crowned Fae Lord transformed into a fire starter, one with the secret to sacred fire strong enough to burn gods to cinder and ash.

Regardless of divinity, Caleb was still a man, Tuija, his lover. Ares ran his thumb along the scars on his index finger, eons never chilled the flames of his brother Hephaestus' vulcanic plasma holding him to the mountain, while he claimed a bride not meant to be his. Aphrodite... Leonidas. If Ares knew he had a moment with each, before the clatter and the shield breaks of war, did he ever refuse?

"Not a word." Ares stared at the beads on the man's beard, how they glinted with the shine of a polished and refined warrior. Caleb and Tuija? Did Aphrodite... no she didn't push them anywhere they didn't want to go, it wasn't like that. While Caleb seemed off the last while, Ares wondered. Whether he could handle the rush to his veins or not, would he need to step beyond Caleb for the good of the Realms? 

"Yes, Tyr. We're at your disposal." The Einherjar bowed in a respectful salute, covering the grind of his teeth at the prospect of buddying up even temporarily with the jolly Bogatyr. 

"Do it, Pater." Alcippe clenched her fists with a tight shake to her head. Ares' eyebrow quirked. 

"Are you..." 

"Call the noisey whirlybird." Alcippe whirled round and motioned for the kitsune and the Falcon to accompany her, "You're out of time, pater! Call it and go! Now the danger is past, we women have work to do. Be gone!" 

"I don't think you'll get a clearer 'piss off' in all your days." The Bogatyr scratched at his neck, fixed his moustache, and cleared his throat. "When do we leave?" 

"If I'm not their firstborn's godfather, I'm going to revolt. Watch me." Ares growled, the sound of helicopter rotors already on the wind. "Run!" 

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An excerpt of Char & Ash