break some bread for all my sins | magnus

[magnus]

Dahmer was a quick study and had he been against Tephra, Magnus had no doubts he would eventually become quite the headache. Thankfully, the black stallion was for the land and part of it, and Magnus was grateful to have his intelligence and brawn on their side. While they rested comfortably in their peace now, he knew better than most that such peace did not often last for long. It was short-lived and tenuous; those who resided in Beqanna often paid lip service to their love of calm, but all too often, their actions contradicted it. He had no doubt that trouble would ride upon the wind sooner than he would hope.

Thankfully, that was neither here nor there at the moment.

He merely nodded at Dahmer’s response regarding Lucrezia. The mare’s assets, and her contributions to Tephra, were not to be underestimated—least of all by Magnus. He knew just how important it was to be surrounded by those smarter than yourself. He did not take her work or her intelligence for granted.

As Dahmer requested more information, Magnus’ expression grew slightly more somber. He lifted his head to look toward the border, one corner of his mouth pulling into a lopsided frown. “We are still getting a feel for our neighbors. Taiga was a pleasant visit for Aranea, Longear, and myself. They are more like a family than anything else, but families such as theirs are strong.” He glanced back to Dahmer. “We have also entertained the Queen of Nerine, Nayl, which was a pleasant visit. She mentioned wanting to work together in the future. And recently Ashley of Ischia came to visit. Everything was friendly.”

All of the diplomats he had exchanged with had been the same way. Curious about what was beyond their own land, friendly, and open to relationships—but cautious. “That leaves two lands I have not yet exchanged with: Sylva and Pangea. I plan to journey toward them soon to see for myself how they fare.”

He had not yet seen Pollock of Pangea but he had heard enough of how the land was formed to know that that would be a slightly different exchange. “If you are up for it, I would appreciate your company on the trips. Sylva, I imagine, will be pleasant enough, but I do not know what to expect from Pangea. I do not anticipate bloodshed, and I certainly am not going to illicit it, but I would prefer that we are front-footed with them. If they recognize we are not a weak land to be trifled with, then all the better for us.”

out of the blue out into the loneliest place that you'll ever know
I carried the world just as far as I could but the damage had taken its toll