The Magic of Rue

Ch 2: An Overall Priss in a White Waistcoat

Kian POV

I hate the Edge Lands, it reeks of lesser magical beings and humans.

So why I was tracing an assassin here was beyond me. The winter court thinks that I am the most vengeful and brutal among us, but I have never met another fae that could hold a grudge the way my brother does.

He was too much of a pampered fool to hunt down the targets of his rage himself like a normal fae, so he sends me.

My only actual instruction, make sure revenge is taken. In whatever way I see fit.

It is generally a deal that works well for me, I dislike politics of court and prefer battles.

But I rarely need to leave my realm for that where mortals live. I despise them.

My lip curled back slightly in disgust as I looked around from my perch in a large Oak tree. A shadow dropping onto the branches below me, "General Kian. The crown prince requests an update."

The crown prince can fuck an ogre. "Tell brother the assassin will be dead by sundown, and next time he is to take care of his pests himself."

"Respectfully, general," the wraiths misty voice echoed, "I cannot speak to the crown prince in such a manner, even if it is a direct quote."

I stared down at the undead creature, "then just tell him the first bit." I growled out lowly, "do not bother me again unless you wish to die a second time Wraith."

It disappeared into the air, "yes General."

I took a deep breath, the mixed smell of fae blood and mountain earth was being carried from the east.

If he tried to cover his injury I previously inflicted on me, he was not doing it well enough.

The moment a drop of his blood spilled, his chance of escaping me was less than zero.

No one's ever slipped through my fingers once I set my eyes on them, this parasite would be no different.

He's lasted longer than most, but the end was inevitable. I was going to rip him to shreds.

...slowly for making me come to this awful realm.

I dropped from my branch, landing silently on the ground below, before setting off to where the smell of my targets blood was.

It wouldn't take me very long to reach his location, he seemed to have taken a longer route than necessary toward human civilization, opting for a mountain pass rather than continuing through the woods.

Likely due to the woods' being mostly uncharted by the spring and summer courts.

Meaning it was certainly one of those two annoying courts the assassin hales from.

I tucked the information away for later and headed towards what was likely the best way to cut off the would be assassin.

It was mostly forest and a few springs hardly worth noting, but it was an area known for goblins.

Goblins were practically mice, but a nuisance when injured in unfamiliar territory while uselessly running for your life from the deadliest fae in faery history.

So, in retrospect this was the correct decision to prolong his pathetic life.

But, it would have been wiser to not have attempted to assassinate the crown prince of the winter court in the first place.

Saved me more time to actually do important things as well.

When my brother throws a fit, heads fly, and I am his favorite blade. Mostly because I know his intentions without him having to even speak, and my personal brand of brutality amuses him.

We are brothers after all, despite him being an overall priss in a white waistcoat we had to have something in common. We found when we were young it was the enjoyment of the screams of tedious people.

It was a pity he wouldn't be able to hear these ones... I had a feeling they would be particularly amusing.

Especially considering this forest was a relatively quiet one.

There lacked the annoying sound of too many birds or small beasts in the shrubbery.

It was... odd when I thought it over, looking around.

Animals tended to go silent if they sensed me, but they only ever did when I had no desire to hide my steps.

This forest was too lacking in noise for something that seemed practically free of major predators for miles.

...expect for frogs.

There was a distant sound of frogs.

It was as if the croaking replaced the chirping of birds. Strange and unnatural for the landscape. This wasn't a bog nor is it a swamp, there was barely even a gurgle of a stream.

Why so many amphibians?

If I wasn't busy trying to track down a target, I would follow the sound, see if there was anything of concern close to where the fae realm met that of mortals.

I may need to when I return. I practically grumbled to myself. How annoying.

It could take days to figure out the reason for the abundance of-

I paused, staring at the trunk of a tree, in it carved a drawing of a mushroom and an arrow pointing to the frog sounds.

Inscribed in it was; spells, potions, and magical favors, follow the Amanita mushrooms to meet the witch Rue.

I looked down at the ground, finding spotted mushrooms much like the drawing, another cluster several feet away.

A witch.

There was a witch living in the far parts of the Edge Lands.

What sort of idiotic witch sets up shop so far from mortals?

I nearly scoffed at the concept, she likely was ousted from ruining too many spells.

Nothing worth mine or the Winter Courts time.

I continued tracking the soon to be dead Faery.