Raja . . . couldn't exactly explain how he was feeling. He was sure that when he arrived home back to the cave he had been born in, he would of felt better. He always knew that the cave would make him feel better, yet it didn't. Something was missing, and he knew exactly what it was. He convinced himself that he would be fine on his own, but after that encounter with him, he didn't know what to expect. The feeling of desire and need took over him like a tidal wave to his senses.
This boy by the name of "Noble" had obviously projected something in his brain. The sudden need of wanting to touch his soft, pale cheek was painful. The boy obviously wouldn't know how Raja was, would he? The villagers might just think that he was a traveler passing by. He wanted that to happen, but he didn't at the same time. He wanted that boy to recognize him as something important to him. Raja wanted to be that important something so very badly, he thought he was going crazy.
He couldn't describe the feeling he was holding in. Again, his vocabulary wasn't big enough to identify a lot of things. He knew what the inhabitants of the forest were called like "Birds" and "Rabbits". Some of the more brave animals would contact him with calls he understood. Even if he did look intimidating as his true self, he wasn't all that scary and cruel like the villages might have described him as.
Raja was so frustrated, and the rapid movement of his tail proved otherwise. He wanted to see this boy again, but how? What would he think of him when he runs up to him with little to no way to talk to him? Hoe would others react to his foreign appearance? Most of the villagers were pale since sunlight was a privilege, yet Raja was as tan as light bark of the trees outside his cave? Plus, his hair, in fact, his whole body, would be covered in white to signify his true color. His hair, his jacket, his pants, his shoes, his everything was white. His scarf, however, was red.
It was like an addiction to him. he just could not lower the scarf from his neck, and he would carry it around when he was a big cat again. It was completely obvious in the snow and against his white fur, but he didn't care. it smelled like cinnamon, and that's the only thing he cared for. It was worn by the boy he was just so oddly attracted to, which made it a holy artifact to him to worship.
So, Raja decided that he would go to the village, but stay in the shadows. He needed to see his grey-eyed boy before his mind went nuts. He stomped his paws against the ground to shake off the leftover snow from his mind-relaxing walk which didn't completely do its job right. he shook his whole body to get rid of the cold, condensing water from his light grey mane. he started to walk deeper into the cave when he spotted his little tote full of essentials.
At an early age, he would watch his older sister make bags made of deer leather, so their parents would be able to hold raw meat easily to bring back to the cubs. Raja was fascinated with her amazing skills, so he decided to make his own. She helped him, of course, and that's what made it special to him. The love and patience of his lost sister is what string that tied him and the dark, leather bag together.
Raja shifted into his normal human form with the same white jacket that always appeared no matter the situation. It was annoying at first, Raja growled, but soon got helpful as he aged. His bright cerulean blue orbs spotted the bright red coloring of a scarf, and he immediately wrapped it around his neck for comfort. Mmmm . . . Cinnamon Raja almost moaned at the scent but held it back. He didn't want to be too creepy now.
It was a slow day for Raja, as it was very early in the morning, so he decided to walk there on foot instead of paws. Yeah, it wasn't as fast as he was used to be traveling with, but it gave him to think to himself, even if he had enough of that, to begin with. He grabbed the strap of the tote bag and sling it over his broad shoulders with ease. Taking one deep breath in, he started his journey.
**
Noble was excited.
Noble was excited . . . for reasons he could not explain. He had slept peacefully last night, more so than he had ever had. Maybe, it was the warmth of the white, fur jacket he held to him that made his weird dreams go to rest for once. Maybe, he was excited it was soon time that he would meet his spirit for the very first time.
Noble wasn't a beast dud after all.
As soon as his moon-lit grey eyes opened and fluttered, he couldn't wait to start the day. He was more hyper than usual. He felt like his body was finally getting rid of the sickness he has been infested to be annoyed at from life itself. Today was a new day for Noble. He sat up from his wooden bed, stretching his lean muscles that screamed in thank you. As soon as he swings his legs over the bed and onto the floor, he grabbed his savior's white coat and held it close to him. He wrapped himself in its essence while he followed his brain's mindless order to get ready for the day.
Once he arrived, he sat the coat on the country next to him while he took a good look at himself in the mirror. His complexion just glowed. How could one act of rebellion cause his mood to soar above the clouds? Why hadn't he done this sooner? He grabbed the brush next to the sink to brush out his light brown curls from their crazy state. His grey eyes were brighter than normal and he looked happy. He hadn't been this bright in months - years maybe.
Sam, being the little devil she was, sneaked into the bathroom and grabbed Noble's hand. Noble, in hand, almost screeched since he was so suddenly pulled away from his deep thoughts. Plus, Sam's hand was cold, so freaking cold.
"Hey Noble." Sam smiled innocently before grabbing her toothbrush. She dipped into the water bucket that held out clean water and began brushing. I followed her moves exactly, and we both spit into the corner where a little hole was.
"Hello, Sammy. Have a good night sleep?" Noble asked, wiping his mouth.
"I did, and it looks like you did too." Sam giggled before signaling that I should pick her up. With much internal protest, Noble decided to pick her which she was warmer than he thought. She snuggled to her shirtless brother's thin frame with a loving giggle added to it. Noble struggled with retrieving his coat, but with the help of his little sister, it all worked out.
"I guess you can say that." Noble chuckled before exiting the bathroom with his sister in tow. Once he entered the living room, his sights landed on his mother under a wool blanket with her eyes closed. Noble guessed that she was still somewhat still asleep. Noble sat his sister down next to the wooden dining table they used for everything, but before he could say anything to his little sister, she spoke up.
"Who is it?" Sam asked boldly with a tiny smirk.
"Who is who?"
"Who is the one that's making you light up like a flame, huh?" Sometimes, Noble questions if she really is six or not.
"I don't know who you're talking about," Noble smirked back.
"Well, it's obviously someone since you moan his name in your sleep," Sam giggled, slapping her mouth like she ha leaked a little too much information for her own good.
"I do?" He arched his eyebrow. Thinking, he didn't really remember any name. All he could remember was blue. The color was imprinted into his brain like a brand burning onto the back of his skull. It was obvious, and Noble knew that it would never go away for the rest of his life, "What's his name?"
"You already know since you do sleep talk his name?" Sam's eyes widened but widened even more to the size of snowballs once she realized that Noble didn't know what the heck she was talking about. She tapped her finger to her pale chin before giving him a sweet smile.
"Seriously, Sam. Give me his name" Noble begged.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"Because of what?"
"Figure it out yourself, Noble." Sam urged, "I'm sure if you look deep down, you will find what you're looking for."
"Since when did you become a wise old man," Noble teased with a wide grin. Sam shot him a disgusted look of horror, backing away from her older brother with just the same amount of fake horror a jump scare would do.
"I am not an old man!" She hissed, hitting with all her force to Noble's leg, but to Noble, that was weak. Being the good brother she claims he isn't nonverbally, he faked a wince, which made Sam crack a smile.
"Already kiddos. It's time that we finally help set up for the festival later this week." Their mother scared them both, and Noble cursed under his breath, "Watch your language, Noble."
"Sorry," Noble glanced down before making his attempt to escape his mother's glare. Success at his job well done, he quickly slipped into an outfit and also the fur jacket he had realized he was so desperately clinging onto.
"So, you're into a guy, hmm?" Noble's mother was the one to get into her children's business whether it be their love lives or gossip in general. She was that "hip" mom, but let's be honest, she really wasn't. Noble groaned, hating how Sam had to say something about it. He snuggled into the coat further only to smell mint, a scent he hadn't picked up before.
"I don't know mom, but I do know you're not going to be slipping through the cracks on that one. Nice try." His mother pouted as they walked through the snow to get to the center of the village.
"I guess I'll just ask Sam for details. You'll tell me, right sweetheart?" Their mother fake-pouted, glancing over to her daughter who was holding Noble's hand.
"Hmm . . . Maybe?" Sam giggled her light brown curls bouncing along with her adorable skipping.
Noble looked over to her with pleading eyes, and she nodded over to their mother, "My lips are sealed, mommy."
"Ugh, My own children are against me." Their mother answered dramatically.
After another twenty minutes of fast pace walking, the Embers family arrived at the town hall to land on the sights of workers furiously working quickly. It was cold, Noble pointed out, so no doubt would they want to hurry to get to a good fire to warm their hearts back up. Noble let go of Sam's hand and handed her over to their mother.
"I expect you to get your lazy butt working. I'll check on the workers and ask on your progress, and if I dare see you slacking off, I'm going to hide that jacket, got it?" Noble's mother ordered, and he nodded on acknowledgment.
Noble sighed in relief once he sees his best friends hanging up lanterns over the village poles. They have yet to be lit, but when they do, it's the most beautiful thing Noble has ever seen. It was like stars, but closer to you. You could see the vibrant light of the different color lanterns once they reach the sky at the end of the festival. It had been two years since he lasted seen the spectacular show since he was sick last year.
With a huge grin on his face, Noble ran over to his friends, giving them a big bear bug to both of them.
**
Raja had watched Noble arrive with a little girl holding his hand and much older women smiling at the two of them. The dull ache of missing his mother was there but decided it wasn't the best time to make itself known. The older women were scolding him about something before letting go of the little girl Raja thought was very cute. Deciding to get a closer look, but at the same time he wouldn't catch the sight of him, he skillfully climbed the main building everyone was hovering around. He slid over to the edge of the roof carefully before catching the sight of the beauty in front of him.
The boy ran over and hugged two people who were similar in age to him, and a pang of anger lit inside him. It isn't the time to screw this up, so he ignored it to the best of his ability. Raja stared at how the dull sunlight shined on his cheeks like he were an incarnation of temptation. It was true that Raja wanted to jump down and give this boy his heart and soul, but not yet. He was now talking to his supposed friends, and Raja decided to listen in with his incredible hearing.
"We're glad to see that the dead aren't dead yet," The blonde-haired girl chuckled. She set her hand on her hips while a rabbit rested on her shoulder.
"Oh, how ironic. I'm sorry that I slept in because I seriously did not want to wake up and do this. Cut me some slack?" Noble's soothing voice entered Raja's ears, and whatever tense feeling he was conquering in his nerves slowly melted away. Raja knew he was in something deep, but what was it? He couldn't put an exact name on it.
"Don't worry about it too much. Let's just get these over with, so we can actually do something fun today. Make school-free days fun!" His other friend, a male with a mischievous glint in his eye, was almost immediately written on Raja's instinctive, mental threat list. Raja growled under his breath, suddenly feeling protective of the boy.
"I guess so." Noble shrugged, and after that, the soon put all their attention on making these bowl type things with fine colored paper. Raja was curious about what these things were. He slipped off his bag and jacket, suddenly gathering some unknown heat. He could feel this internal flame of his starting boil him alive. He kept his scarf on though. he didn't want to lose the one scent he was so addicted to.
After a while, it had gotten incredibly boring for Raja. He could basically feel his tail swing from him like a vine, even though he wasn't a lion at the moment. His blue eyes soon caught them trying to leave, so in a rush he grabbed his bag, leaving the jacket behind. No use in taking it if it's going to appear again when he shifts into a human in the future.
As he slowly sneaked around into the shadows as the three walked and talked, he could feel Noble tense. Was he going to be okay? Raja felt like he should comfort him, but if he were to get caught, then something would happen. It could be good, or it could be bad.
"D-Daley . . ." His heavenly voice cracked, and Raja continued to grow worriedly. He got closer, and closer, daring fate to finally make it happen, but fate decided to weave its own thread to the situation.
"What's wrong, Noble?" The girl named Daley asked Noble. All three of them stopped in the middle of the road and leaned over with Noble, who looked sick.
"W-Why is my heart pounding so much? It's starting to hurt . . ." Noble whimpered, and Raja grew confused.
"It's close, baby," Daley's worried expression soon turned into a big grin as she held Noble's hand, "Your spirit is near. It's almost time you meet!"
Spirit? Raja thought. What were they talking about? He couldn't think more on the topic when hands covered his mouth and both of his own hands were trapped in a hold.
"Move silently," The deep voice said, and Raja complied. Even if he were to easily escape this man's grasp, he actually wanted to see how this unfolded. As we walked back to the middle of the town, Raja's hands were tied together behind him, and he was roughly pushed to go faster. Raja's heart started to pound, silently praying that this goes the right direction.
**
Noble's heart wouldn't stop pounding as his friends escorted him back into the middle of the village. It just grew faster with each step in front of him. Mylo was being oddly distraught but still proud of him while Daley still had that full out blown smirk on her face. When we arrived, there was a huge commotion at the steps of the main hall, and Noble's curiosity peaked to his fullest. He could feel his spirit in the middle of the crowd.
Noble pushed pass his friends, despite their calls of protest while finding the strength to push back the crowd. His heart stopped when his eyes landed on a few warriors and an elder, but also a man. A man with his scarf.
Despite his head laying low, he could spot out that this man was already so beautiful. His white hair looked so silky to run through while his muscles were strong and prominent. His body was the color of sun-kissed skin. He was extremely tall. Each time Noble felt his heart, he could feel another heartbeat just as fast as he was. Noble's hand reached out to the man, gathering the attention of some curious villagers.
The man's head snapped up, and Noble's heart stopped. His eyes . . . were cerulean blue. The same blue he had seen is his little rebellion days ago. Noble was surprised to even further when the man smiled. God, Noble could just feel himself melting into a puddle. He could of sore that some girls were following in his footsteps as well.
"What happened, Sargent Acker?" One of the elders asked.
"I found this thief going around suspiciously. Even got a bag full of stuff!" Mr. Acker's accent showed through his unforgiving anger.
Then, Daley did the unforgivable. She pushed Noble closer to the man and the elders inspecting him. His heart must have stopped already, yeah? It was going too fast for his own comfort.
"Boy . . ." Mr. hot-head Acker warned, stepping a foot closer to Noble, but Noble didn't give two hoots about him getting in trouble. All he knew is that this man was his spirit, and you know what? He didn't care. He was going to become a beast tamer now, and he knew this was the one. He felt it deep within his very being.
"Raja . . ." Noble whispered, surprised with himself that he already knew the name. The manor Raja smiled even more widely. Noble gaped at how easily Raja snapped his restraints, earning gasps from the watching crowd. Those were heavily enchanted handcuffs that were supposed to be unbreakable, yet he broke them with such ease. What was he?
Noble swore that nothing could have stopped the sparks erupting like lightning through his body when Raja's hand held his cheek. No one dared to interfere with this display as they could sense that Raja was extremely powerful if he could break the unbreakable. The tall man's reaction was the same as the smaller boy's as they both felt the connection between them. Then, Raja did the unexpected.
Raja kissed Noble.
He tasted like apple pie and mint, Noble declared, and it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted in his life. He couldn't hold in a moan as Raja continued his assault on Noble's dry mouth. Raja didn't even give a care if people were watching the two of them, but in Noble's wishes, he stopped, licking his sinful lips like he hadn't been getting enough of the drug.
"Noble," Raja whispered sensually, resting his forehead to Noble's. Raja felt like he was up high in the sky like he could defeat anyone in his path. He hadn't felt so strongly since he was a young child. Sadly, good things had to come to an end. He didn't want harm to come to this boy he felt so strongly for. A Snow Lion's place wasn't here.
Noble's heart was slowly breaking when those big baby blue eyes stared at him sadly. He could feel a wall of emotions emitting from Raja that it was heartbreaking. He could see some of his memories, and his heart leaped up into his throat. Noble couldn't move, because of the disbelief of what Raja really was, but before he could really show those emotions, Raja pecked him, whispering in his molten voice, "It's going to be okay little one."
Noble had gotten flooded with questions from everyone that could annoy his ears with no end. They asked who he was, and why it happened. He only told his friends that the man was his spirit animal, and what he felt.
He didn't let that little detail out that this man as indeed the legendary Snow Lion.