"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
This Gates was not the one he had left.
(Left involuntarily, but left nonetheless.)
The Gates that he had left had been active—tense, wounded—but active. It had been bristling with an uncertain energy, an anger that simmered under the surface, a hunger for justice that bordered on revenge. He had been tireless then, flying to and from the field daily, patrolling the sleeping kingdom at night. He had worked alongside Mast and Wichita, taking up the mantle of General and Lord as a familiar sword. It had felt right to step into that role and although the kingdom did not always fit him perfectly, he had long since accepted the fact that it was his. He would always live and die for it, just as he did for Joelle.
But this Gates…this was different. It was wounded, but instead of stirring with anger, it was sleeping. It felt hollowed out—weak. His chest constricted painfully as he thought about it, standing by himself with the night’s breeze washing over him and lifting his mane from his neck. He set his jaw, stubbornness taking root in his mind. He was not ready to let the Gates go quietly into the night—he never would. If he had to lift it up himself, he would do that. He would work himself to the bone if that is what was needed.
Of course, it would be easier with some help.
His gaze flickered toward the sabino stallion, an unfamiliar sight and yet somehow familiar. Perhaps it was just the acknowledgment of a kindred spirit or perhaps it was the acknowledgment of aligned purpose. Whatever it was, Magnus found himself trusting the quiet magician. Trusting him enough to move from his spot of silence and work his way toward Sahm, branches quietly scratching his back and leaves tangling in his forever messed up, knotted mane. He silently came up the stallion’s side, watching the kingdom unfold around them, the scent of spring heavy in the air and thick as it tangled in the wind.
Finally, “Sahm, is it?” He angled his heavily jawed face toward the other, his expression carefully neutral. “My name is Magnus.” He figured the other had picked it up during the meeting, but Magnus was not in the habit of assuming others knew he was; even when it was something worth knowing. “I have a feeling that you and I have a similar purpose.” Looking out toward the kingdom, he sighed. “Identical, even.”
The Gates would always be his home. It was where he was born. It was where his parents had fallen in love. It held the very essence of his magic within its roots. Even after the faeries had taken away the overt magic that flowed through the mother tree Sahm could still sense twinges of life and energy beneath its trunk. He had always found comfort in its shadow (a stark difference to how his father had felt about the tree). Today was no different for Sahm as he planted himself beside the overgrown tree. He whinnied quietly as he rubbed the ridge of his cheek on the sharp bark to satisfy an itch. ”How are you today?” He whispered to the tree. No, he didn’t expect an answer, but the heart of the Gates had become an inanimate friend to Sahm.
Rarely did Sahm speak to other horses. In the recent days he had stretched his limits and spoken to more souls then he had in years combined. In order to bring back true life and magic into the Gates he would have to embrace the company of others. It was with that very thought in mind that Sahm recognized a large shape closing in. He recognized the stallion with his matted mane and tan coloring. He had been a former ruler of the Gates- he was older and far more experienced then Sahm. Sahm had not expected to have a private conversation with the stallion. He surely didn’t expect to have the stallion seek him out. Sahm was just that- Sahm. He wasn’t special.
”Yes, it is.” He replied. ”Nice to formally meet you, Magnus.” It was simple to talk to him, wasn’t it? Sahm swallowed a knot of saliva that had formed out of nerves. ”I would hope so….My dad gave me his magic to take care of our home.” He took a deep breath. ”My goal now is no longer to just take care of it, but to help breathe life back into it. It isn’t right to keep this land a secret…it isn’t right to leave it broken.” Sahm allowed his heart to flow- why he kept speaking he didn’t know. ”You have experience in ruling, don’t you? The Gates can’t keep sustaining these random horses claiming rights over it.”
sahm the inexperienced, quiet magician of the gates
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
Magic. It intertwined with his family, but until it had brought him back to life, it had left him alone. He was a remarkably plain stallion for Beqanna. He could not call to the earth and make it rise on command alone. He could not bring fire raining from this sky. He could even twist his genes. He was a simple buckskin stallion with no ability beyond his grit and his strength and his stubborn will. Magic may have breathed life into his lungs and allowed him to crawl from his saltwater grave, but it did nothing else.
Magnus could not say that he minded. While he had carried eagle wings for several years, they had been an alien weight—and although useful in battle, he did not miss them particularly. Magnus’ life was complicated enough and he was simple in tastes. He did not begrudge life for leaving him plain in form.
Still, he was pragmatic enough to recognize the worth of magic—especially when it came to keeping his home safe—and his gold-flecked eyes brightened as he listened to Sahm talk. So the young stallion had been gifted with magic, specifically, magic to protect the Gates. There could be use of it. Even more use if the stallion was as kind-hearted as he first appeared. Magnus had no time for callous, selfish magicians.
“Then the Gates is lucky to have you,” he said quietly, his voice dropping an octave as he picked up on the other’s nerves. “I agree. This land flourishes when it is allowed to fulfill its true potential. It is made to be a home—a sanctuary. I have always believed that this land should have open borders that welcomes those who need a place to rest their head or heal. It grows ill when it is empty. Abandoned.”
When the conversation veered toward his experience ruling, Magnus shifted, his mouth pulling down in one corner. “Aye, I have some experience.” He angled his head so that he could look the other dead in the eye. “Although I would not say that I have an unblemished record. I was young and foolish and left the kingdom during my rule because I thought that would be best for her. I knew that I wasn’t good enough.”
He was not sure why he was being so open with the other, but he felt it was necessary. “It was a stubborn, selfish move—and resulted in a very long, hard lesson for me.” Another pause, his shoulders rolling. “But I came back. Will always come back. This is where I met,” his voice catches a little as he forms her name, “Joelle. This is her home—and I loved her desperately and came to love this land because of it.” Glancing up and straightening a little, he twisted his scarred mouth into an uneven smile. “I will do whatever I can to help this kingdom, and I have little patience for those who use her for a silly grab at power. That is not what this kingdom is about. It never will be.” A snort. “So what do you reckon the two of us should do?”
The Gates was lucky to have him? Sahm surely didn’t feel that way. He failed the Gates over the last few years. He hid himself amongst the trees, and had practically grown bark. He was stagnant, worthless, and uninspired. The death of his parents simply shattered him. Slowly he put himself back together, but as he stood before Magnus he felt like he had missed a few pieces. Sahm allowed a wad of spit to form in his mouth before he swallowed it with a silent gulp. It wasn’t time for him to feel hollow. Magnus continued to speak, and luckily he agreed with Sahm’s statements. The Gates had not met its potential. It had grown empty. Sahm nodded his head along with each word. He was in agreement.
It was true that Magnus had experience in ruling. Sahm had never expected him to be a perfect king- surely no king or queen had ever been. The story that the stallion was roughly giving to Sahm did seem to be one of pain and love, but the fact that he was willing to give it and recognize his wrongs simply endorsed respect. Magnus’s experience had given him insight, and that was something of definite value.
Sahm noticed the change in Magnus’s stance and the subtle changes in his voice. Sahm’s face softened, and he settled back with ears raised. It was clear that Magnus loved the Gates just as much as Jason had- and for similar reasons. Instantly Sahm felt a tinge of grief. Magnus was painfully like his father. For a moment Sahm felt comforted by the idea, and then in the next moment he simply wanted to rest his body against the strength of the stallion. Sahm had been alone for too long- he had told himself that it was okay, but it was becoming painfully obvious that he needed company.
”What should we do? Sahm said bemused. ”I have no interest in power…but I can’t say that the title of king doesn’t mean anything when it comes to recruitment and alliances. The Gates does need a leader in title.” He blew heavily out of his nose while in thought. ”You remind me of my father. He too fell in love here. He too left and returned…his heart is in this land like yours. You would make a good king, and I do realize that my magic will be helpful in keeping this place guarded- and in maybe making it a sanctuary.”
sahm the inexperienced, quiet magician of the gates
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
Magnus had never considered himself a good King.
He was a good soldier, good warrior—even a good General. But King? That had never been a title that Magnus had been comfortable wearing in his youth. It had felt dishonest when he was so far from the goodness of Heaven. He had blood on his hands and a hunger for war in his gut, and he had felt like the Gates had been a skin stretched too tight. He could never be the white knight that he thought she deserved. In his lifetime, that had been Bond—and he had always known the stallion to be better suited for the land. Looking now at Sahm, he thought the same. Sahm was cut from this cloth more than he.
Still, his edges had worn down with the decades, and although his judgment was still harsh—still brutal and heavy—he knew that it was not about him or his comfort. It was about the Gates and what was best for her. He may shift uncomfortably under the idea, but he also knew sometimes the hands that he trusted the most were his own. He was loyal to the bone and would die for the kingdom; more than that, he would die for what he knew was the true purpose of the Gates. It was not meant to ride out in a wave of glory. It was made to live peacefully in the shade. It was a shame that such peace had to be bought with blood.
So he does not smile at Sahm, his mouth grim and his gold-flecked eyes bright. “Power is best held by those who have no interest in it.” At least that is what his life had taught him—again and again. “I cannot say that I would be the best King, but I would do my best to serve her. Sometimes, that has to be enough.”
He dropped his head an inch. “Your father sounds like a good man, Sahm.”
Then, back to business, he glances upward, surveying the land. “I know better than most that holding titles that bring you discomfort is not always wise, but I think the kingdom could benefit from having you at the helm.” He cocked his head to catch the other’s gaze. “Perhaps we would balance one another out?” One corner of his mouth lifted into a crooked smile. “If co-ruling does not interest you, having a kingdom magician and Lord would be beneficial, as well. Truly, the decision lies with you.” Another pause as he looks away to the few inhabitants mingling around them, “And them. Who knows what they wish for.”
The decision would always come down to the majority for Magnus. Always.
(My thought was to change it up and switch them to maybe meeting up post Zeik-upheaval)
The meeting had been unpleasant to say the least. It ended abruptly with two important members of the kingdom exiting in anger. Sahm didn’t stay much longer after Magnus left. It was clear to Sahm that the buckskin stallion was far more worthy of the title that Zeik had stolen. They had previously discussed being co rulers- and although Sahm had yet to grow fond of the idea he knew that it would take two to possibly overthrow the young king.
Once Sahm had disappeared from the meeting he landed on the north side of the kingdom. It took him several days to gather his bearings and thoughts. The Gates didn’t deserve another absent king to add to its history, but apparently Zeik thought it necessary to do so. Zeik had not only disregarded most of the kingdom, but he spat out noticeable lies. Sahm had been keeping tabs on the new king and he had yet to recruit or visit another kingdom. The Gates had truly fallen into distress again, and the only light was Magnus. He was working hard, gathering new bodies, and greeting guests. Sahm saw all, knew all when it came to the Gates, and he was growing angrier at the monarchy.
Time had passed and Sahm had finally decided that another meeting was needed with Magnus. Sahm looked to the older stallion with great respect- he was a surrogate father of sorts. Magnus would surely know what to do, and Sahm wanted to pledge himself to whatever plans the stallion concocted. It took only a moment for Sahm to close his eyes and think upon Magnus before he stood directly before him.
Sahm smiled and bobbed his head in an excited greeting. ”Magnus!” He gleamed. ”I have been thinking of you, and what we had previously talked about. “ He referenced their previous conversation about kingship and co-ruling. ”Zeik is unfit.” He said softly. ”I still stand by you…and I wanted to pledge my allegiance to you.” Sahm dipped his head.
sahm the inexperienced, quiet magician of the gates
![[Image: gqYjsHr.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/KjqNDKxc/gqYjsHr.png)
