"Excuse me, miss?" A little hand tugged on her coat, and she turned her head, spotting the little girl with a small frown on her face. Lilla smiled and extended her arms for her to jump in.
"Didn't I tell you to just call me Lily, Sam?" Lilla said, and Sam snuggled into her lap like a little cub to her mother. The young woman smiled sadly as she stared into the fire. It had been a long time since she got to hold a small child in her arms, not since she was forced to flee the home she knew and loved . . .
and her brother.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Lily." Sam replied politely, "It's just . . . my head really hurts. I'm not sure why."
"Oh really?" Lilla leaned back, gazing into Sam's hazel, almost grayish eyes. She looked just like her mother.
"And I've been having these thoughts of big brother," She muttered and gazed down at her own fingers, "I really miss him."
"I know, sweetie. I'm sure you do." Lilla whispered, her smile faltering at the statement. She could see so much grief in this little child's eyes. Her life was a paradise one day, and it was brutally ripped from her the next. All Lilla could do is keep her here, keep her safe until someone comes to rid the village of mages crawling around, left to help rebuild after Anazella's and Valider's clash of magic and swords. With their food supply running low after just a week of this mess, Lilla couldn't just escape her warded home that protected her identity. If they were to find out . . .
"When do you think he will come back, Lily?" Sam asked, acting wiser than most five-year-olds. She shuffled in the woman's lap, deciding it was time to remove her discomfort of her position. Her head ached and burned, one mystery to be solved quickly.
Lily continued to watch Sam get alarmingly sicker by the minute as the little girl began to deteriorate. With her forehead burning up as well as her nose, Lilla rushed into the small kitchen where she retrieved a makeshift first-aid box she had created herself. Rushing back just as quickly, the woman dropped to her knees only to gaze at the five-year-old confusingly. Sam was up and with a smile on her face.
"Big brother is here."
Lily's eyes widened when the sounds of a dangerous roar seized the silence of the outside.
*
The journey to the village wasn't a timely one, that's for sure. Somehow, the ritual had made Noble's lion quick on his feet, quicker than before. It may have just been his increase in size, but Noble doubted that. Raja had become more agile, quick, lightweight in a sense. Noble could notice since the lion he rode on bore no heavy breathing and his muscles moved quite often at a much quicker pace. In all of that, Noble achieved not falling off. It felt as if he did such a task a million times over.
However, Noble wasn't expecting what he would see as soon as he reached his home, his village.
Mylo hadn't warned him, even Noble wished he had. The Beast Tamer choose to not directly enter just yet, but there was a clear view of the town hall from his point of view. The pillars were wrecked, and the dome had fallen in the result of that. Burn marks littered the ground where snow once was. Windows were shattered to glass pieces while the steps were no longer usable. This was only the first of the destruction Noble would come to spot once he got a closer view of his village.
Noble leaned down onto Raja and laid his head on top of Raja's mane. Mylo dipped low since he had seen the threats Noble had dipped for. A couple men, obviously foreign, stepped out of the damaged town hall with grim expressions. They were holding staffs and laughed among each other like they owned the place. Noble fought to growl as well as Raja. Behind them were familiar folks in chains, the elders.
"Are you seeing this, Mylo?" Noble whispered and gripped the gray slightly tighter.
"This is horrible." Mylo commented, "When I came to check on the village, they weren't there. None of them are supposed to be here. Why?" Mylo continued to mutter to himself with curses and rants. Noble would do the same, but he was too busy debating the overwhelming sense of wanting to do something about this.
Noble wanted to save the one place he ever knew.
"We need to save them, everyone, Mylo." Noble gritted his teeth, "We have to do something about this."
"Do you think I don't know that?" Mylo huffed, "I see it as you jump in there, and I could easily get them to safety while you distract them. Simple plan."
"There's a chance of others we don't know about spotting us, you know." Noble pointed out, and Raja huffed out a breath of cold air, "Then again, I doubt we can just sneak them out with the mages that close to them either."
"Exactly, my point, dumbo."
"Oh shush it," Noble muttered with a small smile.
Mylo disappeared out of thin air shortly after. Noble felt something grew inside him, nervousness but confidence at the same time. He had never felt confident with himself ever, and it was an enjoyable feeling to rejoice in. The determination stacked on top of it made Noble feel like he could conquer anything he pleased. With Raja by his side, the world was theirs and theirs alone.
"You ready, Raja?"
He huffed back in response.
"Here we go."
With a deep breath intake, Raja stepped forward, now in plain sight of the few men holding the elders captive. With a hiss, the three mages turned their heads to see what a menacing sight. A man, worthy of calling a commander of an army, riding on top of a very large lion, easy to recognize as one of Meridth's "Guardians" in the textbooks. With Raja's cold stare and Noble's new and intimidating appearance, both elders and mages shivered in fear, not recognizing Noble himself until it hit the mages like a slab of bricks.
"Oh my Luna, It's him!"
"It's the tamer! Someone call the Circle Master to help!" One of them dropped the chains, letting loose Elder Felix and Della, but not completely free of their chain cuffs. He darted in a full out sprint, heading inward, deeper into the village to retrieve this master of his.
Raja felt Noble's hand run along some strip of his back, silently communicating with the lion without words. Raja received his message quite clearly, and he made a full run towards the two mages. The both of them reacted quickly and lifted their staffs to create a field around them to protect them. However, it would not be enough to stop the full force of the Fallen Tamer as he crushed right through their pathetic excuse for protection. Giant claws ripped apart armor, and the two mages were soon defenseless with nothing but their broken staffs said to be indestructible and armor promised to protect from power creatures like himself.
"Oh my Luna, please save us." Elder Della kept chanting as Elder Felix tried to comfort her with the best of his abilities. The tiredness, however, couldn't be helped as he sunk in his position, waiting for the swift death of the legendary lion. Unaware that Mylo was working his own magic to free them from their magic-bound cuffs, the two elders stared down in shame.
It came to a realization to Noble that Raja was strong. With little to no effort, he was able to rip apart armor in a matter of seconds. Only a few dragons could do such a thing that quick. Confused to be scared of what Raja could do or proud of his incredible gain, Noble could only rub his mane in praise, earning a low purr deep in his throat. The moment was cut short when a good ten mages entered the scene with a mage with more armor, presumably the "Circle Master".
"It is brave to show your faces after running off from your emperor." The Circle Master barked at Noble, and the beast tamer only furrowed his eyebrows, not a single word was spoken back, "Lucky for you, if you come willingly and peacefully, your village here will be saved from any more harm."
"So, you've harmed my neighbors and friends?" Noble bravely snapped back, his fists clenching with anger, "Why make such an offer if you have already harmed my home? Wasn't invading our neutral territory that isn't owned by no such country crossing the line? Harming it is only going to bring rejection to your doorstep."
"Might I remind you that we have assets in our possession? Emperor Valider has taken hostage of Daley Monate, exiled witch of the Great Circle, and Anazella Blayze, former empress of Lunis. If no harm comes to your whores, then you must come with us to the emperor."
So, his hearing wasn't off after all.
His mother was Empress of Lunis, the great country of the Moon.
"Though, I was told you were already aware of such happenings." The Circle Master grinned, lifting his staff, "So, it is your choice. Destruction of this village and your prized whores or Come meet the emperor peacefully and unarmed."
Those words burrowed deep within Noble, and he felt himself crack like a dragon's egg. Each word poking at the surface of his anger and something much deeper within himself. Noble didn't know what was happening. That final push against his sanity had flashed him with a bright light. It all happened too fast for his liking.
He remembered that he jumped off Raja, who grunted in disagreement with the loss of contact. Noble walked up and rubbed Raja's muzzle lovingly, confusing the mages behind him. His forehead burned, but it wasn't the painful kind of burn. It actually felt . . . nice. Noble felt as if he was floating in the thin air as the light overcame him with acceptance. Shocked gasps were heard as soon as his head turned, the looks of terror permanently staining their faces as they dropped one by one with no such contact by the beast tamer. The Circle Master was on his knees, managing to keep afloat.
That's when memories flashed before his eyes.
"Hikari, you must give up your rights to your estate in order to save your father from execution while taking his place. Come peacefully, and the emperor will see to your father's pardon from death row."
His silver eyes blinked rapidly as a sudden painful lurch stabbed at his stomach.
"I love you, my son. I always will and know the day I found you laying in that ditch in the forest was the best day in my life. You are truly a blessing. May you carry on my legacy as the blacksmith's chi--" The lever was pulled, and there lay the head of his father. Hikari wept, and soon something swept through him, as everyone behind the poor boy dropped to the ground in an unconscious state.
"Father . . ." Noble whispered under his breath, and the swelling of his head died down slowly. The Circle Master finally dropped face first into the snow like a lifeless doll. Noble ran over to the man, relieved that he was still breathing and the others as well. When he turned back, he saw Raja had changed back into his human-like state as he stared at Noble in wonder. The four elders behind him were wide-eyed and shaking of fright, afraid of what might just happen to them.
Oh Luna, please do not harm us! They are the ones who are at fault!" Elder Della collapsed onto her knees in a begging position, and the other three followed her lead. By this time, the commotion had caused attention to the nearby villagers who were hiding in their houses. Some gazed out of the windows while others were at their doorsteps with curious yet frightful eyes staring at Noble.
"You do not recognize one of your own, Elder Della?" Noble said as he knelt down to their level.
"Noble?" Elder Felix gasped, and he rattled his chains before they fell off without an inch of effort. Mylo stood behind them with a smirk with his small horns on his head and his smirk growing more and more devious by the second. He was proud of himself.
"Why is that you look so different, my child?" Elder questioned, still on her knees, "Is it because of the Lunis Emperor's doing?"
"Somewhat." Noble answered, "But I have no time to explain much. I would like to see my sister at once. I must know that she is safe."
"Noble," Elder Clyde, an Elder Noble didn't interact with much, intervened, "We have not seen your sister since the emperor marked you. Your mother was taken soon after trying to defend you and the others when his mages started to attack. Dare I say that she might not be alive."
"Nonsense," Mylo spoke up as he took his place on the other side of Noble. The elders gulped when they spotted his horns and unnatural blue eyes that were as cold as ice, "Beast Tamers are powerful magic users, but you fail to realize that you are not the only such user in this village. Noble, you know where she is."
"By the Moon Goddess, Mylo, have you sinned so much that you have become a demon?" Elder Felix touched a nerve, and Noble could feel him tense even when he wasn't even touching the poor demon.
"Well, that's overrated, if I do say so myself." Mylo replied with his arms crossed over his chest, "I wasn't made into a demon. I was born or in my case, created. Truly, I am insulted to be called turned since those demons are too crazy. Just know that I've kept this youthful appearance for a long time. Make haste, Noble, we need to retrieve your sister and go."
"You have never been more correct," Noble commented sternly. He left no room for the elders to react to the statements of the two best friends. In all honesty, Noble was done with them since he wasn't much of a bright star pupil they always wanted. Though he couldn't lie that he felt a bit sad letting that go. it felt as if he was breaking off a small chunk of what was left of his home.
Raja stood there, staring at the elders as they begun to shrink under his glare. Raja just shook his head and hated the fact that his head hurt now from the mysterious move Noble pulled. He hadn't exactly remembered much, and it was all Noble's doing. His eyes had become bright and had actually emitted light for a split second before he whispered something and blinked back to reality. Raja huffed and stayed silent before following in Noble's tail.
"They don't deserve you, Noble," Raja muttered while he took Noble's hand in his. Noble to the side, staring at the lion's face until he turned back to follow Mylo.
"I know . . . I was never good enough for anyone before I met you." Noble admitted, and he stuffed his face into his red scarf, hiding his small frown, "Now that I have you, I feel like I can overcome any obstacle in our way."
Raja chuckled, giving a tight squeeze to Noble's hand, "Oh, I know."
"Um, Raja?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
Raja closed his eyes with his grin growing. Those words melted his heart, "I love you too, Indah."
*
A knock entered the two girls' ears, and Lilla hesitantly glanced over to Sam who started jumping up and down.
"It's big brother! I saw him come!" Sam ran over to the door, and before Lilla could stop her, the door flew open. Mylo gazed at Lilla while Sam flew past the demon and straight for her older brother.
"Noby!" Sam giggled, and Noble couldn't have felt more content and happy in that moment as he crushed the little girl in a hug. Raja stood behind him, his view making him unable to look upon the door inside the house. When he turned his blue eyes to look at Sam staring back at him while she hugged her older brother, "You're the big kitty, aren't you?!"
Meanwhile, Mylo stepped inside with an exhausted sigh. Lilla tensed, knowing full and well that her brother was only a few feet away from her. Was she ready to face her little brother?
"You have the expression that he's going to kill you if he sees you, Lily." Mylo chuckled tiredly, "It's going to be okay, I promise you."
"What if he doesn't forgive me for coming back for him?"
"You serious doubt your brother is going to? You had your reasons to stay in hiding to keep from becoming a prized pelt." Mylo jumped slowly to his feet again, "Plus, he could take care of himself. You fully know who he is."
"Yes, I do." Lily sighed before joining Mylo.
"Raja," Noble breathed, "I would like you to meet someone for me."
With a confused glint in his cerulean eyes, Raja hesitantly followed as Noble blocked the door with a smile on his face. Sam, who was in his arms, smiled with her brother. That's when he stepped aside, and the world stopped completely for the snow lion.
There stood a young woman with smooth, copper skin. Her eyes lit up in a gentle, blue flame of bright blue. Her long, braided white hair laid on her back while her white fur coat showed off her curves.
With a sad vibe emitting off her, she opened her arms for an embrace, "Hello, Raja, my little brother. It has been a long time, hasn't it?"