Tephra did not boil with life, but she simmered with it. There were pockets of activity, of families who mulled together, of siblings and warriors and mothers. There was his rabbit-granddaughter and her family of wild things. There were the spotted twins and their rambunctious laughter. There was Offspring and Isle, tucked away and keeping to themselves. It was not an overtly active land, but he was proud of those who stayed, of those who carved out a life here beneath the looming shadow of the mountainous volcano.
He was wandering, as he did most days, when he heard the call, and he lifted his handsome, heavy-jawed head toward the source of the sound with the slightest of frowns. It would be the first time that someone from another land had called upon them and while he had begun plotting out his own trips toward the surrounding groups, he had not anticipated that there were those who would beat him to the punch.
Shaking the dust from his coat, Magnus straightened and made his way toward the magician, his gold-flecked eyes measuring the stallion carefully as he approached. While Magnus and Ashley hailed from a Beqanna of old, their paths had never crossed. Magnus did not know of whatever greatness Ashley had claimed, and he is certain Ashley would not know of Magnus’ own accomplishments (of which Magnus thought little). He did not know Ashley had once ruled a kingdom he himself had served. He did not know that magic sparked in his veins. He simply knew he was a foreigner on his land’s border.
It was enough to warrant a polite, crooked smile. “You called?” He came to a stop, unsure how he felt being summoned but willing to let it slide for the moment. “I am Magnus. Welcome to Tephra.”
magnus
![[Image: gqYjsHr.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/KjqNDKxc/gqYjsHr.png)