the atreides ship had left caladan no less than a few hours ago. the feeling was rather bittersweet for paul, leaving his home.
paul closed his eyes, seeing the girl on arrakis again.
she smiled at him and held out her hand. but before he could reach his hand out too, his vision was rudely cut off by someone yelling "shield!" ordering every person in the craft. further meaning they had arrived on arrakis.
house atreides all aligned with the door, ready to see their new home world. ready for what's to come. leto looked at jessica, smiled, and grabbed her hand. jessica looked back at him with loving eyes. paul just stared forward, having no hand to hold.
the metallic door creaked as it opened, and dust and sand came flying in. leto looked at paul, and paul smiled at him.
"my lungs taste the past air of time and sand." gurney mumbles as the pipebag player began playing a ceremonial song.
moments into the playing, as if on cue, house atreides walked forward in an unsynchronized pace.
paul looked around at his surroundings as they exited the spacecraft. there were already many house atreides members everywhere, prepared for their arrival. house atreides flags everywhere, and an endless horizon of sand.
"thufir hawat!" paul yelled jogging towards the man himself.
"young master, how does it feel to walk in a new world?" he asked.
"exciting to say the least." paul replies moving out of the way for his father.
"my lord." thufir bows.
"how are you old friend?" leto says slapping his shoulder.
thufir responds with "my advanced team has secured the city, we're still smoothing out a few rough spots."
leto smiles and walks off revealing lady jessica in her golden outfit.
"my lady." thufir says.
"lisan-al-gaib!" a fremen woman yells from the large crowd.
then the chanting began. "lisan-al-gaib! lisan-al-gaib! lisan-al-gaib!" this caught paul's attention. he looked into the crowd. so many blue eyes staring. he thought as their chants continued.
they approached an ornithopter. "don't be fooled by the welcome, they follow their old masters rules, mandatory attendance. that's harkonnen love out there." thufir hawat says guiding them into the jet
"let's get you out of the sun, the heat can kill out here." thufir says from the pilot's seat.
the wings of the ornithopter spread out and start an up and down motion.
paul looks at his mother, "they were pointing at us. what were they shouting?" he asks.
llisan-al-gaib. voice from the outer world. its their name for messiah. it means the bene gesserit have been at work here." lady jessica says.
"planting superstitions?" paul asks.
"preparing the way, paul. these people have waited centuries for the lisan-al-gaib! they see you, they see the signs." lady jessica informs.
"they see what they've been told to see." paul says as he looks down in realization. however, his thoughts were cut short with thufir hawat saying "we're good to go."
-
paul walked outside in the hot desert heat. they had only just arrived in arakeen and paul had wanted to explore. he saw two people watering date palms, and felt attracted toward the trees as if they had a magnetic pull.
"you shouldn't be out here. the heat can kill in this place." a girl facing away from him says softly.
"i didn't even know date palms could be found out here." he replies looking at the ancient trees.
the girl turns around revealing her face. paul's breath is momentarily caught in his throat. most of her figure is covered with a loose shawl, but her white eyes pierce through the small opening in the face.
"oh these aren't indigenous.." she replies placing her hand on the tree.
"without us these trees are as good as dead." she continues.
"are you fremen?" paul blurts without realizing. she giggles, knowing exactly why he asks.
"i don't know, am i?.." she says looking at him.
"i'd recommend getting inside before you fry." she smiles. but he can only see the crinkle in her eyes. those white eyes.
-
paul sat in his room, studying the fremen with a projection video.
"the largest and most dangerous organism on arrakis is the sandworm. capable of reaching 400 meters." the voice recording begins.
"to avoid making rhythmic noises, which attract the sandworms, the fremen cross desert spaces using the sandwalk." the narrator continues.
paul dips his head watching the projection of the blue eyed fremen do a dance like motion. eyes... he couldn't stop thinking of that white eyed girl.
he walked forward toward the projection to observe a small desert mouse.
muad'dib.
he smiled to himself. however the smile didn't last long when he heard a buzzing from his door. paul stood still trying to pinpoint what was making the irritating noise.
a hunter seeker. he thought, walking into the projection to hide himself.
he watched as the hunter seeker flew around the room.
then it turned towards him.
he held still. very still as the hunter seeker flew toward his eye staying there for a moment before someone walked in. paul acted quick, running and slamming his hand against the wall
crrrrunch!
paul held out his hand to whoever had walked in and showed the crushed hunter seeker. he looked up and saw the white eye girl,
"a hunter seeker." he says calmly.
"oh gosh, oh fuck." she gasps in shock.
paul didn't even hear what she said, he just started into those enchanting white eyes.
"we must tell someone, lord atreides." she said.
it was the way that name sounded so good on her tongue. he could only muster out a "mhm" with a small nod.
-
thufir hawat strides down the hallways wiping his sweat with a handkerchief from his pocket. paul and the white eyed girl sat next to eachother wall, being the only witnesses.
"the harkonnen agent was submitted into that hole six weeks ago and ran the hunter seeker through a water pipe inside the walls.. sire i have failed you today and there's no excuse. you have my resignation." thufir says.
"you deprive us of your talents at this time?" leto says.
"sire my honor demands-"
"they tried to take the life of my son! i don't give a damn about your honor. you want absolution? go catch some fucking spies." leto demands cutting him off.
"your grace." thufir replies
"mili, you're a fremen, right? you should try harder to protect my son!" leto says storming off. paul looks at mili who just stares forward.
thufir hawat follows duke leto leaving just paul and mili. paul looks at the girl who's playing with her fingers, thinking about what he said. "i believe i should know your name." he says softly.
"mili." she smiles at him. he smiles back,
"paul." he says.
"i know." she adverts her eyes back to the wall.
paul looks down with a sheepish smile. mili, mili, mili. something was so familiar about that name. something about her in general.
-1182 words-