[open] hunt or be hunted; magnus, any

[magnus]

desire consumes me like a fire consumes me

Magnus has felt this way before—something beneath the surface that crackles, a tension that simmers and crooks a finger at him, dragging out memories of old interactions. He remembers greeting those with ill-intentions on the border of the Gates, of Tephra, and he has long since schooled his features into one of a calm neutrality. So he doesn’t let anything show as he addresses his grandson. Does nothing but watch him carefully, tilting his heavy-jawed head to the side and listening, his shoulder resting against Ryatah.

Whether Sinner turned out to be someone with ill-intentions or not remains to be seen.

As Ryatah answers his question, he feels a swell of pride—a surge of joy that she’s here and able to navigate such complex interactions gracefully. She answers as he would, asserting their strength without boasting, and he nods his agreement before turning his gold-flecked eyes back to the man of Sylva. He had not been around during the kingdom’s worst moments. It had simply been the autumn kingdom when it had first emerged in the new Beqanna but he distinctly remembers the purple mare’s reaction to the name. It left something wiggling in the back of his mind, an itch that he cannot scratch or shake.

“As Ryatah said, Tephra is doing well,” he says evenly, his whisky-voice husky in his ashen throat. “We remain safe, thanks to Warrick’s sacrifice.” He pauses for a moment, gathering his thoughts, before continuing. “I would like to hear more of Sylva’s current direction, if you don’t mind. I know that she has a somewhat unsavory past. I would be curious as to your current aspirations with the kingdom.” It is blunt, much like Magnus, but he doesn’t imagine the stallion before him does well with diplomatic niceties or dancing around the subject. So Magnus doesn’t bother. Instead, he approaches the subject head-on, keeping his gaze steady and waiting to see what kind of answer he gets from the hellhound.

good shouldn’t need to tempt us above

@[Sinner] @[Ryatah]