[open] Magnus, Any;

[magnus]

although this world is made of fearsome beasts that bark and bite
we were born to put these creatures through one hell of a fight

Ruan wasn’t build for the heat the way that Magnus was.

Magnus wasn’t exactly an Arabian—not built for the endless desert and the scorching earth—but he was born and raised in the jungle and his lungs had long since adapted to the heavy weight of the air. His skin was thin, coat slick, and it was only uncomfortable when he ventured further out in the dead of winter. When the sky became frigid and the air stung his lungs. The very weather that embraced Ruan.

Still, in his jungle-like home, the land lush and the weather warm, Magnus is perfectly balanced.

He wanders the border, his step purposeful but not hurried, the pleasant pace relaxing as he keeps an eye on the outskirts of his home. It’s during this round that he spies his wolfish friend, and his face—open and friendly—warms, gold-flecked eyes sparking as he makes his way over to the Taigan man.

“Ruan!” His whiskey voice booms as he walks up, bumping his shoulder against the stallion. “It’s been far too long but I thought it’d take hellfire to drive you from those woods of yours.” The humor is clear on his face, the easy companionship between friends as he beckons him forth—forever the host.

As they move forward, Tephra expanding before them, wild and exotic and forever beautiful, Magnus falls into a comfortable silence for a few moments. He has always managed to find good people to surround himself with—good souls with good hearts—but it has been a long while since he has managed to find a solid, unwavering friendship. A friendship not rooted in anything else. Simple.

“I have been well,” he finally answers, giving the question the time it deserves. “Busy with Tephra and little else.” He has not had much time for anything but his home: guarding it, caring for it. “It has taken a good while to ensure our stability in the time after the plague, but it seems as though the dust has finally settled.” Settled and Tephra has maintained her hold on kingdomhood—stable and strong.

But he doesn’t dive into politics too much, doesn’t dwell there.

“And you, Ruan? How have you and your family fared?”

magnus

@[Ruan]