12-27-2018, 01:28 PM
the taigan
"Glad to know you've not turned a complete hermit yet."For once in probably years, an amused smirk pulled the corner of his mouth up. It sat new and almost foreign on his dark-lined face. There was a time when it could come so easily, brighten someone else's day for a while, but those days were long gone for him.
"Not for lack of trying," he jested back. Although honestly, he'd never intended to seclude himself away. He had just been kept busy and perhaps he was not as skilled at this as his friend. He'd tried to devote a majority of his time to the people already living within his borders, ensure their safety and happiness before venturing back out to find more.
Until their home had been brutally targeted by his ex-wife's enemy despite her prolonged absence from the land.
"Self-preservation," their new companion gave in short answer. "My name is Let. And I need a home. Tell me about your homes, then."
She was direct, much like him, and he found his muscles relaxing the tension he hadn't realized was there. He was not made for the language of silver tongues, empty pleasantries and ulterior motives and the like. Fortunately, it would seem he wouldn't find those here. He could usually see through them, he just wasn't the type to play along and that seemed to irritate them.
Magnus had approached her first, and so he spoke first. It warmed Ruan that his friend's kingdom was safe, a haven. As far as he'd seen, Magnus was a good king and his people likely deserved such a gift.
For whatever reason, and despite his faith and loyalty to them and the land he cared for in their name, the Taiga continued to appear an enjoyable target for the fairies to torture. They were perhaps the redheaded step-child that had done no wrong but to stubbornly exist no matter what was thrown their way.
"The Taiga answers to no king," he began evenly, firmly, his words solid and carefully deliberate. Even in the changes to the new lands it had been agreed on by the nearby kingdom's leader that the Taiga was it's own land free of rule and would continue to be. Ruan had ruled it once, for the majority of its existence, but not a once had he ever referred to himself as its king.
"We are a free people fiercely loyal to each other and our families, our land, and we will do whatever it takes to maintain their safety. Their are no ranks," he added with a sour taste in his mouth for the word. Though he respected the long-used familiar hierarchy of a kingdom, he wasn't well suited to fit into labels and boxes and the people in his care tended to feel the same.
"We are all equals." Even when he'd led the Taiga it had been more as a single voice for many rather than any kind of ruler. They had all run the place together, cared for it, protected it, and that's how it would continue on. Without rule.
"And we are not a haven from the plague. There is always a chance to fall ill."
He hadn't run across a single person among them that had been infected, but that didn't mean they wouldn't find their way in, so he did not share that knowledge in case it could be taken as a false promise of safety. Not even he could protect them from the plague that was spreading, though he would do whatever was in his power to ensure the Taiga's health for as long as he could.
"If you fear the illness, I would suggest you join my friend," he nodded in a gesture to Magnus. He was the only leader Ruan would vouch for currently. For whatever that may be worth. "He has always been a good king."
The Taiga had also been selective in who they allowed among them - he'd never feared a lack of numbers, but Magnus's Tephra was the optimal choice here, so he didn't add that either.
i thought it would be short but it ended up a novel and i'm sorry <3
@[Let]
