ERD

Hearing Rhone’s words caused the older twin to pause. His turquoise eyes widened minutely for a moment, mouth partially open in a positively flabbergasted expression as an ear tipped back. Magic? Beside him, Ard shifted in a hardly perceivable shudder.

Oh, he knew that the magic of Novus ran deep, its sources akin to leylines within the very earth beneath their hooves. Magic was common, here. So common that it was almost normal. This place was not like Luminous, where the use of magic was feared and outlawed. Yet no matter how long the twins had been safe, away from the hellish life they had lived before, hearing magic spoken about so openly was still very strange.

“You know magic?” Erd questioned after a moment of passing silence, knowing that he and his brother’s uncertainty about it all was quite obvious. There was a notable underlay of awe to his voice, his round eyes regarding the bay stallion with a newfound sense of interest. Breaking eye contact but for a moment, the older of the two ivory youths turned his head to cast a curious glance towards Ard, judging his reaction to it all before looking back to Rhone.

“Ard and I had magic, back where we came from. Being here, in Novus… It’s strange, finding so many other who had magic. Back home it wasn’t really okay to have magic. You know?” Maybe Rhone didn’t. Maybe magic was normal where he came from, too. Erd couldn’t even imagine.

It had been a curse, back home. It had been the reason of their abandonment and resulting enslavement to Vreis and his the following cruelty they had suffered from. It was because of the rebel leader that Ard was the way he was; sullen, reclusive, afraid to utter a single word... Regardless, the magic that they had once hated possessing was now gone, and Erd knew that he didn’t speak for himself when he claimed to miss it. The yearning for power, the raw electricity flowing through their veins, channeling from one brother to the other to create a mighty arc…

Shaking his head, the ivory youth did his best to just shrug it all off. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in those memories, not when they were so laced with darkness and pain. The boy forced a chipper smile and rolled back his narrow shoulders, forcing himself to relax. In the same motion, he once more gingerly buffeted his brother with the dorsal side of his wing. Ard’s troubled expression remained.

“I bet Asterion would really appreciate your help, no matter how strong your magic might be. If you were thinking about heading back, maybe Ard and I could walk with you? After all, the more the merrier, right?” That, and maybe with Rhone around, large as he was, the curious creatures of the world might leave the two petite twins alone. It was a thought, at least.

Turning his head, Erd glanced imploringly back at Ard with that same grin, affection shining in his eyes. ”Ard? What do you think?”

ARD

Ard shared his brother’s initial reaction of surprise at the mention of magic.

The younger brother’s muscles tensed however perceivable it might appear to the untrained eye, his jaw clenching as sharp teal eyes narrowed. The scrutiny of the rich bay gentleman only increased, but as Rhone’s posture changed and he straightened himself up, very aware of the scrutiny, Ard did not look away. There was nothing imposing about the way that Rhone stood, his expression remaining that open, heart-on-a-sleeve sort of charm. His doleful eyes seemed only to promise that he meant them no harm, along with the words that caused Ard’s pale ears to slip back into the curls of taupe hair.

Magic.

It was a familiar feeling. A familiar desire. He knew that he would never stop missing the feeling of raw, powerful, dangerous energy coursing through his veins, with Ard’s intimate ability of scooping that very energy from his being and cultivating it into something lethal. On a battlefield, they were fatal. Perhaps that was why Vreis had cherished them as his ‘perfect pets’...

Remembering the rebel leader caused him to shudder. That was a life Ard did not miss and not one he was keen on recalling. Maybe later, hidden away in the privacy offered within their room in Terratella. He did miss the feeling of that visceral bond between he and Erd, however. There was something unexplained about it, not that he would really try. Least of all to Rhone. Not that the kindred bay had any knowledge of the fact, nor did Ard think he would ask.

The more that he stood there, assessing and judging, the more that the young warlock began to realize that maybe Rhone was exactly what he claimed to be; an innocent man searching for a place to settle down and spend a few years of peaceful existence before death inevitably came for him. Gradually, the tension within Ard’s frame began to loosen and he let out a long, drawn out breath before nodding gently to the taller man. Very well, then.

Glancing towards Erd, Ard offered a shrug and a slight inclination of the head, knowing that his twin would be able to pick apart the meaning. There was no harm in walking with Rhone back towards Terrastella, even though it would be a hell of a long walk. Ah, well. Why the hell not?