a beautiful oblivion. || magnus

[magnus]

we carry these things inside that no one else can see
they hold us down like anchors; they drown us out at sea

It was indeed unusual for him to be back to the Gates when the afternoon sun was high.

He much preferred to rise early and head out before the sun had fully warmed the kingdom. It gave him a head start to the day—a chance to make it to the field before it was in high swing. It also gave him some moments to himself, the run from the kingdom to the place of recruitment a welcome reprieve and chance to silence the demons in his chest. He then spent much of his day there. Sometimes, he would head back early if he came across someone who took interest in the kingdom, but even then, he would return back to the field once they had gotten settled so long as there was still hours of sunlight left in the day.

Work was one of the only things that he knew; he poured himself whole-heartedly into it.

So it felt strange to be back here today, the stallion sitting underneath the boughs of the tree with his eyes half-closed. It was one of the first times that he had been relaxed, truly relaxed, since he had been released from the unknown prison. He had no way of understanding the internal peace or putting his finger on the reason for why he felt so calm—and if he was being honest, he had no desire to analyze it. So much of his life was spent in turmoil that even just a few hours of quiet was a welcome gift. He would not guess it.

He stirs when the golden mare approaches him, small motions bringing his battle-hardened body back to life: muscles twitching, one corner of his mouth rising. He laughed lightly at her statement, rolling his shoulders. “I suppose to call a place home, you must actually reside here from time to time.” Usually, those hours were at night, long after his fellow kingdom mates had closed their eyes for the night. “It is a nice change of pace to be around the Gates when she is still alive with light and life.”

He pauses for a second to study the mare, feeling familiarity but unable to place it completely. “And it is a pleasure to meet you officially. I have seen you from afar,” watched over her as she slept, although he does not mention such, “but an official introduction was long overdue.” Magnus cannot help but feel a small twinge of curiosity though at her next statement and his eyes flicker with confusion in response.

“Is there anything in particular you would like to know about me?”

If you asked him, there was not much to know.

magnus