For Camie

Argentum shakes his head slowly. "You know the name Typhon, yes?"

Qûs'ÿltn is silent, listening.

"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?"

Argentum shakes his head sadly. "Some secrets are better left unknown, Farah. Rosalind has been unearthing things that were better left buried. I know how, but I'll not say. It would be the height of folly."

Argentum is still shaking her head. "Farah, if you do this, you will die. It does not matter how strong you are, Rosalind is stronger. Typhon is stronger. Think of what that would do to Saul. Think of how your death would affect your home."

Qûs'ÿltn finally speaks up, shooting Argentum a look. "Farah. Godspeed to you."

In his mind, he had a plan, and no matter what happened, he would see it through. He bars Argentum and Saul, and sighs. "I'm sorry."

He watches Farah leave, then when she's far enough away, he follows after her.

Qûs'ÿltn follows Farah, and chuckles to himself. "So, it's the two of us again, huh?"

Argentum calls out, but Qûs'ÿltn ignores him, his mind made up.

Qûs'ÿltn chuckles, and then slowly turns more serious and focused. Just before they reach the leading edge of the army, he turns to Farah. "I'm glad I got the chance to piss you off before I died."

He throws up an impenetrable barrier, giving Farah a sad look and one last jaunty wave. He knows she won't leave, so he doesn't bother trying to get her away as his form expands upwards and outawrds, covering a quarter of the army a boiling clouds. A loud sound emanates from him, and he tears into the army, laying waste to everything in sight. The last thing he saw was the charred corpse of Rosalind collapsing, before his energy was overextended. Slowly, the army she'd summoned disappeared, including Typhon, in a howling maelstrom. He lay on the ground, his form once more that of the handsome young Fae he was, as his eyes look up at the now clear blue sky.

Qûs'ÿltn laughs weakly. "I was thinking I would save you for Saul."

He gives Farah a gentle look. "You know how energy works, hun. Once you expend your own, tap into the stuff that sustains you, there's no coming back. Don't blame this on yourself. I did this because I wanted to."

Qûs'ÿltn sighs. "Love, let me go. This isn't a joke. This is for real. Don't lose yourself in grief over what isn't your fault. And-" he pauses, then laughs without much air "-please, cause mayhem across the worlds for me."

And with that, he closes his eyes and exhales one last time.

Argentum follows closely behind Saul. "Farah? What-?"

Argentum looks down, and nearly breaks. "No. No, no no."

His knees hit the ground, and he gathers his dead son in his arms.

"Wake up. Qûs'ÿltn Êderwise, wake up." he sobs, tears of starlight falling down his face.

Argentum looks up, and his hood falls back. "Why? Why would he do this?"

He looks down again, and then has a thought that stops him cold. "I- I think I know why."

Argentum keeps his head lowered while he speaks. "He was very adamant about getting you help, yes? About you forgiving yourself? Neither of which he has - had - done for himself?"

He takes a deep breath. "He was willing to do more for you than he would for himself. He cared. I would say he loved you, but it's a little obvious, one would think."

Argentum sighs. "Not so obvious, then."

He reaches over and takes Farah's hand gently. "You didn't know, and that's fine. He knew you would have been happier with Saul, happier without that knowledge, so he never said anything."

Argentum sighs and lets Farah go, staying silent. "It was their choice to do this."

"As much as I hate it, I could never stop him. He was always bullheaded." he murmurs.

Argentum quiets down. She's hurt.