[open] all i want is nothing more, any

[savior]

Savior

These are the Tephran things he loves the most: 
if you are still long enough, you can feel the earth shifting underfoot.
If you are quiet long enough, you can hear her breathing. 

He has been dormant too long, the Tephran king, listing in the shadows, feeling only the humidity gathering in his lungs and the kind of contentment that comes only from security.

He had not thought himself worthy of the title, a simple man without any particular aspirations, and now? Now Casimira flourishes as queen and he loves her so completely that sometimes it is all he can do to simply exist in her presence. 

He emerges now, glinting in the soft light of spring, and studies the landscape that unfolds around them. There had been such a seismic rift some years ago and he thinks sometimes that he should venture outward, that he should look more closely at the way things have changed, but he was built for Tephra. He was built for this alone.

So, he stays put, his eyes flashing a vibrant green and then softening into a pale yellow. 

He does not call out, simply stands beside a lava flow, lets the heat sink bone-deep and draws in a long, cleansing breath. 

Should they need him, they will find him here. 

YOU REMIND ME WHO I WAS AND WHO I WANT TO BE
YOU REMIND ME THOUGH NOT WHOLE, I’M NOT EMPTY

[claudius]

In his heart of hearts, Claudius believes that he could never leave Tephra. Ever the explorer, he prides himself on traveling all over Beqanna - though he yearns for his tropical home every second that he is away. He used to toy with the thought of leaving the jungle kingdom, the soft swish of other land's beaches playing melodically in his mind; but it was never a love he felt, even in the throes of restless youth, those distant sands not quite as enthralling as Tephra's.

Sometimes, though - sometimes he likes to tell himself a little white lie. He dreams of the black cove or the crashing North cliffs. Convinces himself he isn't wholly and completely chained by his adoration.

It's particularly relaxing to travel through the twisted, familiar paths of his childhood. The jungle is alive with spring, each of the chestnut's steps punctuated by brilliant birdsong. Claudius glances upwards, eyeing the thick canopy that shelters an intense troop of monkeys. He only catches them in shadows and glittering eyes staring from behind large leaves. Brushing past massive ferns and elephant ears, he smiles to himself, feeling warmly welcomed by his home's familiarity.

Eventually the jungle thins out to reveal lush, open space. Savior shines like the night sky in the distance, easily spotted. Claudius breaks into a trot, eager and excited to see one-half of the Tephran leaders. He calls a greeting before drawing next to the dragon-king. The orange of the lava reflects brightly in his eyes.

"Savior," he says, dipping his head. "Claudius. I'm glad to finally meet you," he pauses, casting his gaze in the opposite direction of his king, wondering if his next question might be too forward.

Still, he presses forward, "Something on your mind?"

claudius

i start the day lying and end with the truth

that i'm dying for the knife

@savior