Old bonds p1
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The moon was wide and full as Magnus and Alexander sat below its glow, and watched their research group toil and sample the magical grounds at the foot of the wide mountainous volcano above, its peaks seeming from this distance to pierce the night sky with pitch darkness that blocked out the stars a little along the horizon, before they twinkled back to life in a jagged line, outlining it.
Magnus had been writing an inventory script when Alexander had offered him to sit outside for a time, and the crackling of their fire next to their expensive generals tent was somewhat calming. Making it easier to focus on his work.
Alexander had other ideas though.
"I read in a scroll we found in the ruins near here that there is such an element as Night dragons." He started.
Magnus hummed to show he was sort of paying attention, his spectacles high on his nose. The glass glinting almost as wickedly as the sharp tip of his serrated beak in the firelight.
Alexander couldn't help somewhat admiring the juxtaposition of a creature that for someone as delightfully cruel and blackhearted as himself in the name of science and pure curiosity, his t'terre features made him seem amost cuddly, until you got to that beak and his cold blue eyes.Too saturated to be steel, but not far off.
Sometimes meeting Magnus' eyes was like looking at two flat pools of water, surface perfectly still and deceptively deep. Ready to entrap the next soul that dare try to swim in its waters. A lurking predator, beneath.
It was what drew him to Magnus. He wasn't sure if it was love - he didn't think he could feel that for any creature, least of all this business partner-go-close friend. He doubted Magnus could love anything either. If his family had been anything like his own, and Alexander was likely sure it was having known him for this long, then the concept of loving something was broken and beaten out of him until the emotion died along with any empathy for others with it.
There was a kinship there, in that regard.
Unknowingly, Magnus thought of Alexander the same way. Related him like no other person he could call a hesitant friend. He knew he could backstab him. And knew himself that if a good enough deal came along, he might backstab Alex, too. But there was a tentative string of trust between them that even though they both knew the other COULD - but wouldn't. Hadn't given any reason to.
Something the both of them thought about, especially on nights alone in their vast homes. Not that they spent much time in their own homes, least of all Alexander with his position as general now, and Magnus with his rebellion squashing and political mingling.
"Night dragons were thought of to be a myth, until recently" Magnus replied. "I acquired one recently. I shall let you study her"
"You -have?"- Alexander asked, turning to him with a glint of interest behind his carefully constructed mask. "Marvellous. You always end up surprising me somehow, even still, all this time later"
Magnus had the decency to look a little smug at that, pushing his spectacles further up his beak and smirking. "Well, I cannot be letting down your lofty expectations, can I, old friend?"
Alex's mouth twitched with the ghost of a smile, before looking back to the moon.
"I have been thinking..."
"Never a good sign" Magnus sniffed
"Will you listen?" Alex huffed, "This is important."
The duke regarded him for a moment, and with an annoyed huff of breath, he set down his quill and gave Alexander his full attention. "What is it?"
Glad to have his attention finally, Alexander continued. "I have a plan to secure our future projects and lands from... meddling. With other powers that be"
"And... how would that be?" Magnus asked. His brow feathers relaxing against his smooth head in a way that usually only happened when he was starting to show interest in whatever Alex was talking about. He felt a little reassured at this, and puffed out his chest as he continued.
"I think we should be bonded. Magically"
Magnus was silent for a long time at that. His eyes narrowing, just slightly. "Would a political marriage not be enough?" he asked casually. Accepting the idea faster then probably was expected, by the slight quirk of the generals own brows. "Why would our souls need be bound?"
"Because, dear friend - nobody can fake a second bond. Nobody would dare try to assassinate one of us alone, when they knew the other would come. You see? You would get my family name, and my funds, and I would get prying eyes off of my back. Nobody could argue"
The duke considered this. Turning his head from Alex to ponder, and watch the flames crackle and split some of the firewood in their stone circle of a pit.
It would be hard for someone to meddle with a second bond. Marriage documents can always be brought into question, but a bond was infallible. And being able to reach Alexander at any time, did seem preferable then having to wait three to four business days for him to bother to answer his letters.
The solution was a simple one, even if to others it might mean more. A marriage of convenience, and a bond that could be useful in the coming battles. The chance to study his dragons, and the change to potentially breed them also, would be to die for.
With a shrug, Magnus nodded, and casually went back to his papers. "I will bond with you"
Alex, getting what he wanted, and surprised it was as easy as it was, smirked. His turn to be smug about something going his way for once in life.
"Excellent."
wc: 978
Two old men decide if they're not going to find love anytime soon, to get some more persistant idiots noses out of their buisness, it was time to get bonded.
In other words, two ace idiots discover they hate eachother less then everybody else
Submitted By Zincwolf
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Submitted: 2 months ago ・
Last Updated: 2 months ago
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