Realms of Stone and Gold

by C. E. Olson

  Echo’s long tail knocks something off the windowsill and she turns her bright green eyes on Varis to await his response. He glares at her for a moment and then returns to the parchment. “Same thing as always. He has a job for me. He wants me to leave tonight.”

  Chapter Two

  Varis stands and drops the parchment on the table to go pack his things. Reeve follows like Varis knew he would, but he's past the point of arguing about it. “It's a blacksmith in the Sun Court. Doesn't say why, just that he's the target.”

  “Do you ever ask why?” Reeve inquires, tugging on his boot ties with one eye still closed. It’s obvious the alcohol is still affecting him, but his hard-headed brother would never stay behind.

  “No. It's not my place to ask why, and reasons usually complicate things. I prefer when he doesn't tell me.” His stomach grumbles and he starts to regret that panca, but the Golden Realm has far better food than theirs. He'll eat soon enough. “Is Echo coming?”

  The look on his brother’s face answers that question for him, as well as whether or not he believes Varis to be an idiot. Reeve finishes dressing and rubs his belly with a groan. “If we don’t eat soon, I’ll eat your peryton.”

  In an instant, Varis grabs his axe and swings it, stopping a hair's breadth away from Reeve’s neck. “I let your cat sleep in my bed. You touch my peryton, and I’ll take something equally as important to you.” He drops the axe so it's positioned in front of Reeve’s crotch. “Understood, big brother?”

  Unsurprisingly, Reeve snorts and thrusts into the blade softly. “Still be bigger than yours, little brother.” He grabs his backpack and tightens the straps around himself. “Did I tell you about the time someone actually tried to cut it off? Apparently he had a twin, and I didn’t know that until after we... y’know... finished.”

  “You're insufferable,” Varis says, completely ignoring the insult. It's likely true at any rate, judging by the rest of him, but not one part of Varis wants to think about that. “Let’s go. Looks like you'll get your wish about that dragon.”

  He also ignores Reeve’s incessant babbling about dragons as they make their way to Attarand. The sight of King Balian’s castle does little for Varis these days except to fill him with a sense of unease, but there's nothing to be done. They walk past the throne room without a second thought and head to the top of the North Tower, where two of the smaller dragons in Balian’s possession are waiting.

  “Hope Echo knows how to hold on,” he says with a smile. “The portals are all too heavily guarded now. We have to take the long way.”

  Reeve leans down and pats his shoulders for the shadow cat to leap on. Those claws hook into his padded straps and his brother stands again like he’s done this a million times over. “She knows. Do we get to pick which one?”

  “We ride together, but yes. We can pick which one.” He steps forward and climbs on the back of the dragon closest to him, but Reeve chooses the other.

  “Echo likes this one more, Varis. Plus it’s larger... if we’re gonna ride a dragon, why not ride the big one?” His childish brother laughs at his own choice of words and climbs on without waiting for a response.

  Part of Varis wants to leave without him for that, but he can't bring himself to actually do it. With a heavy sigh, he slides off the back of his dragon and climbs up in front of Reeve. “Just hang on, and please shut up. Your cackling is going to get us killed one day.”

  He urges the dragon to take off, and the sound of the wind whipping past his ears overtakes his brother's retort. They climb higher and higher until the clouds obscure their vision too, and Varis braces himself for the freefall.

  Echo snarls from behind them, and although the wind makes it hard to hear, he catches his brother’s hiss just before they tilt forward and dive back down toward the ground. It takes all of Varis’ strength to stop them from pitching off the dragon’s back, and they fall so fast that it's nearly impossible to breathe. It lasts so long that Varis thinks they missed their mark, but with a thud, the dragon lands on all fours and the next sound he hears is Reeve throwing up on the ground next to them.

  His brother clings to the gorgeous, tall grass as he defiles it without concern. “Bloody hell.”

  “You chose the big one,” Varis quips. “The smaller one is slower and gentler. Remember that next time, hm?” He slides off, patting the dragon’s back and leaning in to command it to hide. The dragon snorts, but a few moments later, it takes off back the way it came. “We have two days to do the job, or we’ll miss our ride home. Come on.”

  Reluctantly, Reeve stands and follows sluggishly. “Where is Trystrel, Varis? He knows when you cross over, right?”

  “He knows. He always knows.” He glances toward the skies and treks on, though each step makes him believe he'll soon be copying Reeve and emptying his stomach contents where he stands. “Hopefully it won't be long before he finds me. Your scent is probably throwing him off, though. You and that cat.”

  “I smell better than you.” Behind him, Varis hears the brute sniff himself, and when Reeve changes his mind without hesitation, he can’t help but laugh. “Shut it, not like we had time for a bath.”

  “There will be plenty of time when we reach the city. Here—” he stops to fish two colored, rounded films from his bag “—put these in your eyes. They're too blue, they draw too much attention.”

  “But they’re my best feature.” Reeve sounds no older than a child before he snatches them and complies. “Remember Aera?” he asks. “She didn’t mind my blue eyes.”

  He shakes his head. “Of course I do. It was one of the worst decisions I've ever made in this realm, and that's saying a lot. I don't care if they're your best feature, either. Mine blend in better than yours, and we need to blend in.”

  Echo runs ahead of them when Varis finally hears the heavy hoofbeats that signal his peryton’s arrival. A genuine smile spreads across his face as he greets Trys with a scratch of his neck and a kiss to his slender nose. “Took you long enough.”

  “Varis,” Trys’ voice echoes around them. He nudges him affectionately. “I thought I caught your scent a few moments ago—” he glances at Reeve behind him “—it smelled off.”

  “Off? You smell off,” Reeve retorts as he walks over to pet him. “You really are a beauty.”

  The peryton soaks up the attention, particularly when it makes Echo jealous, but Varis knows they don't have time. “Can you take us to the city, Trys? We've got a job to do and little time to do it in — and I think we both need a bath and a nap.”

  “That you do.” Trys glances over at Echo and based on the way they stare at each other it’s obvious they’re communicating. Within seconds, the shadow cat is jumping back on his brother’s back and the peryton drops down for them to climb on.

  Varis carefully grips the base of Trys’ antlers as he settles between his giant wings, and he feels him shift as Reeve climbs on, too. This ride is much easier than the last, and when they land, Varis is the last to dismount. “I miss you. Will you stay with us this time?”

  “Yes. I will stay close by. Whistle when you need me.” Trys leaps back into the sky and flies away so elegantly, they stare until he’s no longer visible.

  “Have I mentioned I like him?”

  “Of course you do. I'd be dead ten times over if it weren't for him.” Varis watches the clouds, then nods toward the only inn in town. “We’ll stay there. We can bathe, eat, then I need to see your sword.”

  “Which one?” Reeve asks as they head toward the inn, and Echo darts into the trees since she knows they won’t let her sleep inside.

  “Your dullest one. It seems I need a reason to go see the blacksmith, and my axe has never been in better shape.” He signals for Reeve to shut up as they head inside, and reaches for a separate coin purse to pay the innkeeper for a room. He stands as tall as he can and keeps his hood drawn to hide his ears, then hopes his hazel eyes are dim enough not to give him away.

  When they face no issues, they sneak to t
heir room without turning a single head. “Couldn’t get two bloody beds?” Reeve asks as he drops his bag.

  “Yet again, I'll be sleeping on the couch. Apparently it’s more of a chair, really, but it'll do. You can bathe while I go find us some supper.”

  “What kind of brother would I be if I took the bed two nights in a row? Get on the damned bed. We’ll take turns like civilized folks.” Reeve plops on the chair and starts rummaging through his bag. “I’ll be done when you get back.”

  With a nod of his head, Varis picks up one of his smallest knives and tucks it into his boot, then disappears from the room to barter for some food. It doesn't take long, the Fae in this realm are greedy folks that won't look too hard if you pay them well enough, so he returns quickly with bread, meat, cheese, and wine. It's not whiskey, not like he prefers, but it'll do in a pinch.

  He knocks twice when he gets back to the room, then whistles to let Reeve know it's him. “You decent?”

  The door yanks open and his shirtless brother rolls his eyes, but before he can say something sarcastic, he sees the meat and snatches it. “Water is still warm enough for you.”

  “Where are your contacts?” Varis asks once the door is shut. “You shouldn't be taking those off.” He strips as he heads for the tub, not eager to do this in the slightest. Lukewarm water is something he's accustomed to, but he'd be lying if he said he enjoyed it.

  “No one is here. And I wouldn’t have opened the door unless it was you,” his brother mumbles around his food. “They make my eyes itch.”

  Varis grunts, ignoring him entirely as he sinks into the water. From here, he's facing away from Reeve and can almost pretend like he isn't there. “Sounds unpleasant. Do you know what else sounds unpleasant?” he asks. “Being found out and murdered in our sleep.”

  “Such a drama queen. Are you sure you aren’t half Fae?”

  “No, actually. Although it would explain my ridiculously good looks. And no one knows who my mother was. Maybe I am.” The thought makes him uneasy for several reasons, so he dunks his head under the water to rinse out his hair — and maybe to avoid Reeve’s response, too.

  When he comes back up, Reeve is standing behind him and shoving a bite of food into Varis’ mouth. “Did you not hear me? You need to eat.”

  “Fine,” Varis mumbles while he chews. It's even better than he thought it would be, so he finishes his bath quickly and dresses even faster, then scarfs down the rest of his portion. “Rest your poor, itchy eyes, Reevus—”

  “That's not my name.”

  “—We're leaving in roughly five hours. I want to see where the blacksmith's shop is before we go to butcher him.”

  “Five hours is plenty of time.” Reeve pulls out his blade, and Varis can see from a distance how dull it is. “Don’t look at me like that, I was going to sharpen it yesterday.”

  He shakes his head, not really in a place to argue when a dull blade is exactly what he needs. “Get some rest.”

  As Varis lays down on the bed, he does what he always does the night before a job. He reminds himself that what he does is necessary — that there's a reason he began his training at such a young age, that he was sequestered from the rest of society while he learned — and that when tomorrow night comes, nothing will change. Killing Fae makes both realms better, not worse. It's a service to his people and his King, and no one can take that from him.

  He's the Fae Hammer.

  I am the f—

  “Are you giving yourself the Fae Hammer speech again? You look... taut.”

  Varis blushes in the darkness and rolls over onto his stomach. “That's it. I'm leaving you at home next time.”

  THE DIM LIGHT THE EARLY morning sun provides guides them as they sneak out of the inn and make their way to the main part of town. Things are still quiet, still calm, but this is how Varis prefers things. He keeps his axe as hidden as he can, hoping it won't be necessary yet — this is just reconnaissance. “Try not to stand so tall.”

  “How am I supposed to not stand tall? I’m walking normal,” Reeve whispers sharply, but he slumps his shoulders anyway. “This is stupid. You want me to watch the parameter when you enter or go in with you?”

  Varis squints at him. “I'm short compared to you, and you're short compared to them. The closer we look in height, the less attention we’ll draw if we keep our distance. And yes, you stay out here.”

  “Fine.” Reeve begins putting a small amount of distance between them every few seconds until they’re on opposite ends of the walkway. When they near the shop, a pretty Fae approaches them, and when Varis glances at his brother, he’s nodding toward her and making an obscene movement with his hips.

  “Bloody liability,” he mutters to himself as he continues moving. If Reeve wants to be an idiot, he can do it on his own time.

  He checks his surroundings carefully and smiles to himself when he spots Trystrel in the trees just a few yards off. Knowing he's close is comforting, particularly once he realizes that their slow start did nothing for them — he can smell the forge already. Carefully, Varis pushes open the door and steps in to look around, then lowers his voice.

  “Hello?”

  “One moment!” a voice calls from out of sight, seconds before a man backs his way into the room. “How can I help you?” he asks as he takes in Varis’ height. “You’re a short one, eh?”

  “Mother put poison in my cream when I was young. Said if she didn't stunt my growth, I'd outgrow my ears.” He keeps his movements slow and steady so he doesn't dislodge the hood that covers his very human ears, then draws Reeve’s blade. “Are you the blacksmith, or his apprentice?”

  “I’m him. My apprentice went missin’ so if you see him around, slap him upside the head.” The blacksmith’s eyes lock on the blade and he takes it from his hands. “Pick this up in the Stone Realm, eh?”

  He nods once. “Stole it from the Bastard’s brother. Clearly only one of them tends to their weapons.”

  The blacksmith howls with laughter at the mediocre joke and hits Varis on the arm. “Let’s hope he tends to his lovers better than his blade. I’ll have this cleaned up by sundown.”

  “I'd be grateful.” Varis bows his head and reminds himself this man will be dead soon enough, he doesn't need to retaliate just yet — and that alone allows him to turn on his heels and exit the shop. The man seemed nice enough for a Fae, but Varis knows the King has his reasons for everything. If Balian insists that he needs to die, then he needs to die.

  Varis’ so-called “lookout” is found getting a little too friendly with a half-naked Fae with long, blond hair, but the second he sees Varis, he shakes the man’s hand and walks off toward the woods.

  The moment he catches up, he shoves Reeve against a tree. “First of all, what were you just telling me? That you're settling down with Laix? Yet every time I turn around, you're trying to touch someone else you shouldn't be touching. And all that talk about being useful, yet—”

  Reeve pushes him off and fixes his clothes. “I’m looking for someone for you! I know you don’t think you need anyone, but I-I wanted to help you... not just with a bloody job. Is it a crime to want to help my brother with something personal?”

  “In this world or the next, yes. I'm fine, Reeve. Since when have you cared so much about my sexual habits, anyway? Especially to the point you'd try and hook the bloody Fae Hammer up with a Fae.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first Fae, and since you’re against commitment, I figured Fae were easier for you. Whatever, forget it, I won’t try again. What’d you find out?”

  Varis pauses. He's honestly not sure why he gets so offended by Reeve’s help — but maybe it's the very insinuation that he needs help at all. “He’s gullible and slow. Should be easy enough to accomplish.”

  “Good. What time?” Reeve asks, but they both silently straighten up the second a branch snaps a few feet away. They reach for their weapons just as Echo comes into the clearing and elegantly approaches to rub on Reeve’s leg. “She never ste
ps on twigs,” his brother whispers, still very much on guard.

  A lethal calm spreads throughout Varis’ body. “Get behind me. Tell your shadow cat to do the same, I think perhaps that blacksmith wasn't as gullible as I thought.”

  When the blacksmith rounds the tree, he twirls Reeve’s blade in his hands. “Guess not. You want to know what gave you away?”

  The Fae his brother was flirting with exits the brush with an arrow nocked and aimed at Reeve’s head. “Sorry handsome, this is me saying I’m not interested in your very human brother.”

  Sheer rage and panic war for attention in Varis’ mind as he keeps his eyes locked on the archer. “Sure,” he says to the blacksmith. “It's always good to grow. What gave me away?”

  “The Fae don’t use the word ‘bastard,’ boy. Not even about you. Not to mention, I want to keep this blade.” He takes a stance to launch the knife, but Echo lunges down from the tree no one saw her climb and scratches down the archer’s face, dislodging that arrow and distracting the blacksmith long enough for the brothers to attack.

  Varis holds off chastising himself for getting his own nicknames screwed up as he draws his axe and spins, giving Reeve just enough time to duck out of the way before the edge of the blade slices through the blacksmith’s throat and embeds itself in the tree behind him.

  The archer stares at his fallen friend in horror with blood dripping down his face. “Killer!” he yells, releasing a shriek that can be heard for miles, but that dull blade his brother wields lodges itself in his eye socket a second later.

  Silence surrounds them, save for Reeve’s whispered cursing as he yanks his knife back and rounds on Varis. “I’m sorry I was a bloody idiot.”

  “The job got done. Go find a sack to put the head in. I'll burn the rest.”

  Chapter Three

  Varis drops the sack at King Balian’s feet and then bows, but his movements are stiff. “There are no loose ends, Your Majesty. The only witness was killed.”