calm before the storm set it off; any

[magnus]

magnus

howling ghosts, they reappear
in mountains that are stacked with fear

His concern for Raeg’n was steadily growing. At first, it had been something that scratched at the back of his mind when she didn’t hunt him down for a few days for their regular training. He had assumed that he had misspoken during their last encounter, and the guilt ate away at him. He had no way of telling her what was truly racing through his veins when they fought, the true nature of what was inside him. How could he tell her how he hungered for bloodshed? How difficult it was for him to just turn that off?

Their last bout had brought him too close to that edge, had fed his inner hunger too much for his comfort.

Still, he knew her well enough to know that him snapping wasn’t enough to stop her for long. Certainly wasn’t enough to stave her off forever. The girl was relentless in her need to train, to better herself. So, soon, the worry grew. He found himself hunting for her during his regular rounds of Tephra, looking for her when he wandered to the field, or to any of the common meeting grounds. But she was nowhere to be seen, and he realized that he had no way of knowing where to even start looking for her. He didn’t know who her parents were, who her friends were. He had no understanding of her life before they met.

So when he heard her name called out, he pivoted, turning over his hocks and cantering toward the young stallion, his golden face sharp with concern. “Did you say Raeg’n?” he questioned, holding back his own fear just barely. “I have been looking for and haven’t been able to find her.” His brows drew together as he glanced toward the horizon, as if she would materialize there, before he looked back to the boy. He had seen him around but had never had the chance to introduce himself, and, suddenly, he realized that this was perhaps not the kindness of introductions. Forcefully, he quieted himself, his voice lower when he spoke again. “I’m sorry for the abruptness. I’m just worried about her.” A pause. “My name is Magnus.”

but you're a king and I'm a lionheart