magnus

[magnus]

She was persistent, he would give her that. At first, he had begun easily on her, showing her defense more than anything else—letting her practice attacks and showing her how easily he could slip away from them. It had been more show than anything and although she had managed to get a few hits in, he had never minded (he had never minded the ache of muscle and blood). Their training in the early days had been centered around that dance. She lunged, he side-stepped; she snapped, he reared. It had been instructive and helpful, but he had not touched her, not yet. He had born the brunt of any damage.

But that couldn’t last forever, he knew that. So, gradually, he began to shift his defense into offense, hitting back when she struck out at him. His teeth found purchase, his hooves making blunt contact. He had held back, but it had been enough, considering the difference in their size and heft. It was then that he had discovered her ability, watching as her body knit itself back together before his very eyes, and his eyes had darkened with understanding as he just nodded and then lunged again. And again. And again.

She had never complained though, and he hadn’t coddled her. Whatever hunger that lay dormant within him sometimes roared to life during these sessions, and he did not entirely ignore it, but he kept his hand firmly on the collar of whatever beast roared within him. It was not easy, but he maintained control.

He rolls his eyes dramatically when she comes up his side and sighs with more exasperation than he feels, turning his golden head toward her with a rogue smile. “And I thought I had finally been able to shake you.” As if that was possible. The girl was persistent. He could break her bones and he was convinced that she would give herself a minute to piece them back together and then be back asking for more.

If he liked the ability to fight without consequence, he never said it.

“Does it matter to you if I do not?” he said with a chuckle, swinging around to face her. She had always been respectful of his responsibilities but she was young and eager and full of purpose. It was sometimes hard to explain why he couldn’t help her fulfill her angel’s purpose because he had to patrol a border or welcome a newcomer to Tephra. “Regardless, I have time for some sparring. Are you ready?”

He took a step back from her, opening up the small area between them, free of magma but not without any obstacles. He felt his adrenaline rise in response to the challenge. Magnus knew that he would walk away from this with wounds he could not heal, not without time, but ever since Tobiah had tucked his own immortality within his golden body, he had felt younger, more energetic than he had in years.

“First attack is yours,” he said, pawing at the ground in anticipation. But then, before three seconds had passed, he was lunging forward, covering the distance quickly, bringing his knees up hard into her chest.

No one fought fair in the real world. Neither would he.

out of the blue out into the loneliest place that you'll ever know
I carried the world just as far as I could but the damage had taken its toll