[Closed] Who waits for their own slaughter... sheep.

[magnus]

I wanna give you wild love, the kind that never slows down
I wanna take you high up let our hearts be the only sound

Everything she says strikes a chord within him and he nearly closes his eyes on a dark purr, thanking whatever brought an Amazon of old into his life. “My childhood was more than a hundred years ago. The passing of decades and centuries is no stranger to me.” Of course, much of that time had been spent underneath the ocean, saltwater on his tongue and behind his eyelids, but death and life did not feel so different nowadays as it used to. Even now, he found himself more often than not staring out into the ocean by the coast of Tephra, watching the waves lap up the beaches, feeling that dark pull in his belly.

He diverts his attention from such things, bringing it back to the present.

His lopsided smile warms at her mention of his mother.

“I’d like to think so, although it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her. She was lost to a great flood that swept through the jungle a lifetime ago.” It hurts less to talk about it now, to relive the memories of being a young stallion frantically looking for his parents in the receding waters. Atrox had eventually been revived, drawn back to the Chamber he always served. Twinge had not been so lucky.

Magnus aches when he thinks of her.

So he moves on, turning his attention to her question, and the kingdoms. “The lands here are different than they used to be. Not so clear cut and constantly changing. They morph and evolve, reflecting their leader to a greater degree than they used to.” It was easier when you knew what the Gates would do, or what the Chamber would do. They remained more consistent with the changing of power.

Now, everything was always up in the air. Kingdom loyalties switching so easily.

“Nerine is on the Northern coast and it’s the new home of the sisterhood. They are strong, proud—everything that you remember the Amazons are. Just this time surrounded by cliff and ocean.” He pauses, head turning to the opposite side where Tephra lay, just beyond the borders of the field. “Tephra is nearby. It is a volcanic isle, surrounded on three sides by water. It is lush and beautiful and humid. In many ways, it feels like the jungle.” He smiles at this, dark eyes sparking. “Right now, it is led by a young stallion named Kromium who has chosen to forgo traditional kingdom dynamic for a less structured approach.”

He is disarmingly honest here. “The truth is though, we are quiet. Too quiet. We need more than his family to sustain the land. We need leaders and those willing to shape the kingdom into something strong. Something that can remain a haven to those who need it but that isn’t vulnerable to the other lands should they choose to attack.” He doesn’t mention the fact that he helped found Tephra many years ago. That he was still bitter and unsure about Kromium’s approach to taking of the crown from Warrick. That he currently served as General. He merely lays the truth down, frowning briefly, before pivoting.

“And there are other lands too. Ischia, an island out in the water, reachable during low tide across a sand dune. Sylva, a forest with the most brilliantly colored leaves—all fire and sunsets. Loess, a rocky hillside land. I’ve heard that they run on contracts now, a kingdom for hire of sorts. And, finally, Hyaline. It’s run by two Queens and is nestled in the mountains, surrounding a brilliant lake.”

A pause, the stallion wishing he could tell her more, show her what the new Beqanna is actually like.

“I’d be happy to tell you more or take you to any of the lands should you wish to see them in person.”

I wanna go where the lights burn low and you're only mine

@[Aysel] hi take this novel