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Magnus rushes in. Because of course he does.
Taako’s lost count at this point of the amount of dumb, impulsive shit the fighter’s pulled, even in the short time they known each other. Staying behind to fight a losing battle in the animal world; getting into that stupid drinking competition on the second plane that ended with a case of alcohol poisoning that took Merle all night to clear up; nearly getting arrested in the third because he couldn't just keep his head down and shut his mouth when someone was being hurt.
If Taako didn’t know any better, he’d blame it on their new found immortality. Even he could admit that, once the shock of the reset had faded, the possibilities had started flooding in. It was only a matter of time before Lup did something drastic, and Taako was torn between locking her in a room for her own safety and sitting back with a bag of popcorn. The humans on the crew seemed to be the most affected; Barry had already died once testing out some dumb science thing on himself - Taako didn’t care enough to ask.
Yet something told him that Magnus’ reckless disregard for his own safety wasn’t new. He certainly hadn’t known about the resets on the first cycle, when he waded back into the fray to save those bear cubs, like something out of a folktale. Magnus the Strong, protector of the weak or some shit like that. Rustic folk hero, adored by all.
He might have to learn a bit of impulse control first.
Might also need to not pick fights with groups of bandits either.
They’d just been out on a recon mission. The plane they’d landed on seemed pretty damn desolate, rolling deserts stretching out like great tan waves for miles around. It had only taken three minutes for Taako to decide that he hated this one. Three minutes incidentally being the exact amount of time for him to get a face full of sand. Lup had been bent double cackling with laughter, at least until Taako kicked sand into her face in return. He’d nearly started a mutiny when Cap’nport assigned him and Magnus to go scout the area. Trudging through sand, not even knowing if they'd find anything at, let alone the Light of Creation? Thanks but no thanks. Taako doesn't do hiking, thank you very much. Not in these shoes anyway.
And now, to top it all off, they'd come across a group of bandits. Turns out this plane was, in fact inhabited, although the group of black clad figures were wrapped in clothing that was so loose and billowing it was impossible to make out any details. The same was true for the person lying on the floor, beaten and bloodied beyond recognition. Beside him, Taako had felt Magnus tense. He knew in the pit of his stomach that there was no force on this plane or any other that would hold Magnus Terry Burnsides back from intervening. If someone was in danger, he’d be there. Which, annoyingly enough, kind of meant Taako had to be there too.
Of course Magnus greeted them with a loud yell of “Hail and well met!”. And when that was met with stony silence and drawn swords, and an arrow streaking past them, he ran towards them, straight into the fray, dashing to the rescue of the limp figure on the ground. All they needed was him to find a dog to pet and Taako would have had Magnus Bingo.
The fight didn't seem to be going great. Although Magnus was doing an excellent job of holding his own, the fact that he was out-numbered six to one meant things weren't exactly going his way. Taako stood and watched for a couple of minutes before admitting that, maybe the human might need a hand. So he sighs, pushes up his sleeves, and pulls out his wand.
It is brutal. The bandits are fighting dirty, a furious mix of spells and blows that catch Taako off guard. Magnus fights like a whirlwind, taking out bandits left and right. He’s almost cocky about it, grinning despite the steady stream of blood running down his chin from his split lip. His annual black eye hasn’t even healed yet, and already it has a twin. He takes blows and shrugs them off like they're nothing, but even Taako can see the tightness in his face, the way his movements are growing slower.
Eventually they beat the bandits back, but it's a close run thing. Three lie unconscious on the ground: one of them, Taako can only assume, was the leader, because as soon as they went down the ones left standing turned and ran, limping off into the distance. The person they had been previously attacking is still lying unconscious, but they are at least breathing.
“That’ll teach you!” Magnus bellows after the retreating figures, still smiling widely even though it seems to be verging on a wince. He turns to Taako, panting heavily. “We showed em, didn’t we Taako?”
All Taako can do is stand and stare.
For once in his life Magnus is wearing a shirt. Davenport had insisted on it, both so they would make a good impression on the locals and to avoid the inevitable sunburn that he was sure would come from walking around in the direct sunlight. Unfortunately all the white fabric of the shirt is doing right now is showing the slow spread of blood across Magnus’ chest. Taako stares horrified as the red spreads like ink in water, slowly consuming the shirt, turning as red as Magnus’ jacket. Meanwhile the fighter stands, blissfully ignorant of the giant wound on his chest.
“You’ve uh… you’ve got something on your shirt there my dude” he forces out, voice shaking. Taako has seen violence - Pan knows he’s dealt his fair share of it, living on the streets with Lup. But there was something awful about seeing Magnus like this. The hideous image of his smiling face - why only now was Taako realising how young the guy was, barely out of childhood by human standards, let alone elven - standing proud above the bloodsoaked fabric covering his torso.
Magnus’ smiled fades as he saw Taako's expression. As he looks down at the gaping wound in his chest, it morphs into a look of horror.
“Yup, that… that's some blood, huh?” He chokes out, his attempt at levity ruined somewhat by the way his legs were trembling beneath him, on the verge of collapse. He falls forward into Taako’s arms as the elf rushes forward to meet him, gathering Magnus up like he could somehow prop up the bigger man. The pair sink slowly to the ground, Taako gently easing Magnus down. The fighter’s breath is coming in shallow gasps now, no longer easily dismissed as just exertion.
Taako searches frantically in their pack. Of course, of course Magnus gets mortally wounded the one time he doesn’t bring a healing potion, when they’re miles away from their cleric - not that Taako entirely trusts in Merle’s healing ability, but the dwarf has been known to be good in a crisis. Just Magnus’ luck that he’s found himself with the only person less suited to medicine than Merle. Wounds were not Taako’s forte, colds and upset stomachs maybe, the kind of scrapes he and Lup picked up on the road. Not anything nearly as serious as the pulsing red gash on Magnus’ chest.
As he searches, he feels a hand come to rest on his arm. “Don’t… bother…” Magnus gasps, wincing as he moves. Taako frowns, pausing in his search. Sure the search may be in vain, but there was no harm trying, right?
“I'm not just going to give up on you” he said, resuming his frantic scramble through their belongings. Magnus shook his head, movements becoming ever more sluggish.
“There’s no point… I’ll be back, won’t I?” he says, a hint of what Taako assumes was intended to be a reassuring smile on his face. “I’ll see you all again… once this cycle’s up…”
“You don’t known that!” Taako snaps, surprised by the harshness in his voice. The rational part of him was screaming that this whole cycle thing could be a fluke, or that this could be where they stay, where they finally defeat the Hunger and have to stay, without Magnus. There was another part of him, the part that could never bear to see Lup hurt, the part that pushed him to reach out to Lucretia the previous cycle when he heard her muffled sobs at night. That part wasn’t even concerned with cycles, or renewal, or planar systems. All it knew was that someone he cared about was bleeding out in his arms and Taako had to do something .
But time is running out. Taako may not know much about humans but they are not supposed to lose this much blood. The countless cuts and gashes covering Magnus’ body were draining the life out of him just as much as his chest wound. He didn’t have much time; minutes if anything. He hates to admit it but… there really wasn’t anything he could do.
Taako feels hot tears well up in his eyes and his cheeks burn, part embarrassment and part frustration. Before he could hurriedly wipe them away, he feel a shaking hand come up to try and dab at them. He watches as Magnus gives up and lets his hand fall back by his side, breath weaker than ever now. The light behind the other man’s eyes seems to grow slightly brighter as he whispered “Don’t… worry. I’ll… be back… soon.”
At this point, Taako couldn’t hold back the ugly sobs that wracked his body. Slowly, gently, he lowers the lifeless body of his crewmate- his friend - to the sandy ground. Minutes passed as he sat, hunched over, unable to move for the grief that coursed through him.
~~~~~~
He’s going to come back Taako tells himself, trudging back towards the Starblaster with Magnus’ body levitating in front of him.
He’s going to come back he thinks, watching the way Lucretia’s face crumpled like a wet paper towel, how despite the stoic expression on Davenport’s face there was pain clear and bright in his eyes
He’s going to come back he pleads to whoever was up there, whatever gods inhabited this plane.
Because as reckless, and stupid, and gods-damn impulsive he is, the world needs Magnus Burnsides.