you'd place your hands upon my weary head; ALL [cont.]

[magnus]

— find what you love and let it kill you —

Magnus did not expect the meeting to flourish after the initial explosion, and he is not surprised by the quiet. He glances over those who had still gathered around him and he just nods. To the first who stepped up, he smiles. “Rael Fire,” he says the name—for perhaps the first time. “You and I have not had the pleasure of working together, but the first step is willingness. I appreciate you stepping forward. Because I do not have any prior knowledge of your skill, I will not make you an immediate and permanent leader of the army, but you will be placed as a temporary leader. You can hold meetings and trainings as you wish. Should you do well with the responsibility, you will be granted the position on a more permanent scale.”

At the second mare who had stepped forward, he frowned slightly. He had seen her several times now—the first time had been when he had gone to the Field himself. No time he had seen her had she spoken, which made his stomach churn slightly. At first, he had thought she was just shy. Now he was beginning to wonder if she had the power to speak at all. “Would you like to accompany me?” he asked as he held her gaze and then, quieter, “Just stamp your foot if yes.” He would have to think of a solution for that.

To his granddaughter, he smiled. “It would be a pleasure to have your company, Longear. I can think of few things that would please me more.” In this new world, warriors were important (at this, his gaze moved over to Offspring and Malis, edgy and strong), but diplomats may be who paved the path to true and sustainable peace. He had learned over the years how to tame his tongue, but he was not a diplomat by nature. He would need those with more peaceful skill sets to help guide Tephra to security.

Finally, he addressed the group once more.

“With that, I will conclude this rather…eventful meeting. If you are interested in any of the open positions or if you would like to join our singular caste, seek me out. If not, enjoy Tephra—and stay safe.”

magnus