(I legit started to cry at the end since I was listening to piano music while writing it. It was so damn perfect, and UGH, THESE TEARS)
Raja was aware that Noble had entered some kind of delusion as he felt it above him. The run towards the fields wasn't hard on his paws, and he might as well stretch one out. Sitting at the foot of the windy plains, Noble, with his sister and . . . friend jumped off to do the same. Lily, however, shifted into her natural form.
She wasn't nearly as big as Raja was, but she was big for a lioness. Of course, she had no main, but her fur was a beautiful silver color with her eyes mimicking her younger brother's She dug her claws into the dirt under her and stretched her back to hear a relieving popping sound.
Raja did the same, but he wasn't satisfied when no cracking of his spine entered his ears. He huffed out a breath of frustration before Lily approached with a curious look in her eyes. She cocked her head to the side and sent an indirect plea of how well he felt right in this moment.
"You look more dragon than human now," Mylo stopped Raja's train of thought. The lion glanced over to see Noble's back and Mylo's impressed expression, "You look as if you are ready to scare all the children into wetting their breeches."
"Do I?" Noble rose his hand to his face, but his gloves were blocking any attempt to feel any smooth or roughness that had potentially changed.
"I don't know what happened, but your horns, they are turning more lighter. Maybe, they are growing a bit longer. Your eyes, however, returned to their normal circle shape. Though . . . I don't think you've noticed that you grew some sharp teeth as well. Open wide!"
"My Luna, Noble," Sam's eyebrows were furrowed, "You look like Mr. Hawk when he decided to mess with mommy that one council meeting."
Raja, now curious, quickly felt his human shape return to him. He grabbed Noble's shoulder and whirled him around. Mylo was right. The lion pulled up Noble's upper lip to reveal not one, not two, but a whole mouth of very sharp teeth fit to sink into his prey's. They were nowhere near as sharp as Raja's two fangs were, but they could do much damage if they wanted to.
"Did that dragon do anything to you other than this?" Raja muttered under his breath in his native tongue. Noble's eyes widened at the recognition of their meeting. Yes, Raja did know what went on inside his beat tamer's mind since they were one and the same. For Noble, however, he could not sense the lot. Raja was the source of his power, so it made sense.
Both Sam and Mylo looked at them with confused faces, but Noble perfectly understood. Was this understanding from his time with Raja before this life? Or when they performed the ritual? Noble didn't entertain the thought but replied back in the same tongue, "He did not do much. He only told me how to reach my full potential when he finds me worthy enough."
"Do not dwell on it too much until we reach the camp Helena was talking about. I need to speak with you, privately. I rather get there as quickly as we can, because it is urgent." Raja replied back, and Noble stared at him for a few moments, finally clicking inside his mind.
"Alright, everyone. Break's over. We need to get there quickly." Noble said in their normal language.
"What did he say, brother?" Sam asked innocently while she jumped to get into Lily's lap.
"We have to get there quickly, and I trust Raja's judgment. He said something about needing to touch base with the resistance as soon as we can before the emperor finds out they're under his nose." Noble explained, and Sam just stared at her brother with tired eyes, "He also told me that there's a waterfall there for you to swim! If you be a good girl, maybe I will take you there as soon as I am able?"
"Can we?" She giggled before shushing herself down, "Oh right, gotta be good for big brother! I'll stay quiet."
"Oh yes, my dear big brother!" Mylo sighed dramatically while placing his hand over where his heart would be, "Please do take me as well!"
"Mylo." Lily whacked the demon upside the head, and Mylo pouted.
"Fine! Let's go before Valider notices we're in his territory." Mylo huffed, "I need my beauty sleep anyways."
*
They had gotten far in those hours of nonstop traveling. Noble could say it was worth the lack of food for the day, paid in distance. The crew had gotten a glimpse of MuIna, the capital city of Lunis, on their journey. It was at a far distance, but you could clearly see the castle from anywhere. It was massive with golden towers and a grand glass roof over the main hall. Noble stared at it intensely for the few moments he had to look.
Noble remembered how long it took to build such a castle in secret. It had been a gift to Tharros from Leo and his people. He remembered that he built the glass dome for the reason of easy access for his mother to visit him at any time, though she did not set foot on his hard work once. She never visited, only watched from above as his influence grew among the common folk.
He remembered Tharros' face when he set his eyes on the castle, and how the lion had burst into tears that night. He could remember the nights in that same room full of beautiful flowers that they had talked, drank wine, were treated like gods by the servants he knew so well. That night, Tharros swept him off his feet, spun him around and gave him the time of his life.
Noble's eyes watered at the memories returning to him as well as the red return to his cheeks of the memory of passion he showed him that night. That was the first time they had made love. It was under the stars and surrounded by flowers that Leo helped grow with his caregivers. It was sweet, gentle, and loving. Those blue eyes staring into his during the whole time, hair messy and pants heavily. That night was the start of something complete, whole, and a new experience.
Noble's stomach grew light and nervous. Was this normal? Was this a part of his ascension into becoming the god he was born to be? These memories were returning to him . . . Seeing the castle -- his castle alone forced on days of sadness he had suffered as well as days that he sitting on a throne with many of his citizens down on their knees worshiping him. Then, it crashed on him. It sucked the air out of his lungs.
Leo sat on his throne with a bored expression. He had been sitting here for hours, as it feels, and all the requests from the villagers had been done for the day. He glanced at his markings on his fingers and hands that led up his arms and to his neck. That's when the massive entrance to the throne room had opened only to reveal a little girl.
"Papa!" The little girl giggled and squealed. She ran over with her long, elegant blue dress and crashed into Leo with full force. Leo was now smiling like an idiot.
"Lina," Leo grinned, "How's my little girl doing today?"
"Daddy took me to the temple today. Many of the people there fell down on their knees when they saw me! I thought they all fainted!" Lina huffed, "They kept going on about how I was a "gift from Luna" and how I was some miracle that I was an offspring of two males! They were all so amazed!"
It was simple, Leo told himself, yet you were so hard to obtain my little flower.
It had been years since his mother had given them what they wanted, an egg. It was blue in color, and Leo's mother had told them that this would have a price. It was a price that Leo was all too willing to take. He didn't regret one second with his little girl. She was so beautiful when she hatched. A small baby had slammed its way from the hard shell of the egg, that feisty trait being inherited by him.
Lina was the offspring of both Leo and Tharros, granted by Luna. Everything about her screamed both him and Tharros. She had inherited her white hair from Tharros while her eyes mimicked Leo's. Her skin was made of light copper, a mix between both gods. She had the markings of a tamer etching into her skin like Leo. A very noticeable feature was her horns. They had a blue hue to them and only grew out an inch from her head. They would soon match her father's, being as white as a pearl. She loved her Papa so much that she had her own scarf around her neck, silver in color and enchanted by Leo himself.
Leo and Tharros would go through as many cycles as they needed if they got to see their daughter live to see another sunrise.
Noble kept quiet of the flashback. It had landed on him so hard and so forceful that his head started to ache. He wasn't ready to face that. Or was he? By this point, he didn't have much of a clue anymore. His gloves, now fingerless, was ripped away to reveal that his beast tamer mark on his palm was glowing, burning. This familiar ache in his hand was unbearable, but he would have to deal with it for the time being.
Noble couldn't keep up with the time flying past him. How long had they been traveling? Raja urged everyone to keep going, keep fighting until they arrived at the Northern Basin. How long could Raja go without sleep? Water? Food? It felt like a long time. The unicorns were fed up, but somehow found a way to still keep up with his lion.
"We should stop for the night," Mylo said as the three animals slowed down in sync, obviously tired from their vigorous running. Mylo dropped down to the dirt while Lily followed with Sam in her arms. Noble kept to himself, silently agreeing to his plan of rest.
"Noble, Sam is tired and need of some food and good rest. We all do." Lily sat Sam down, and the little girl grabbed onto the lioness' leg, closing her eyes, "With our distance, we will definitely get there by noon tomorrow. I can smell it."
"I couldn't agree more." Mylo nodded before securing his own unicorn to a tree near their new campsite. Lily did the same, and Noble just kept quiet, sliding off of Raja with bags under his eyes. He may have been a god, but he still had his needs, "I'll go find some wood for us to make a fire. I'll be as quick as I can."
Raja, laying down his tired limbs, decided not to transform back into his human. He rolled over onto his side and huffed out a hot breath of air. Noble watched as Raja closed his eyes and took in deep breaths. The beast tamer approached the lion and ran his gloved hand across his chest and stomach, careful not to get close to the area he was not permitted to enter just yet. His flashback-heavy on his mind, he stroked the large cat's fur. He led his hand from his stomach and onto his side, digging his fingers gently through. A small purr escaped Raja, and Noble started to use both of his hands.
No words were spoken, and Noble liked it that way. He pulled off the glove that covered his marked hand before returning it to the smooth, white fur of his lion. A blue hue escaped his palm, the act almost natural to the tamer, and Raja relaxed slowly under his rub. He was such a good lion, so loyal, so strong, so beautiful. He was so lucky to have him in his life, despite how rocky it was. Noble pet through his silver mane before running his palm across his muzzle. Raja leaned into the touch, and the hue grew brighter. It was not as bright as Noble's eyes though.
"Rest easy," Noble whispered, his face closing distance between them, "I'm proud of you."
That's when Raja opened his bright blue eyes. His paw tried to reach Noble, but he stepped out of its reach. A small kiss was placed on his big, black nose following with a nuzzle to his forehead. Affection, that's what Raja needed. He was so tense, but Noble always found a way to spot that rush of displeasure and eliminate it just as quickly. They had traveled so far together, been through hell and back. He was always that one constant in his life, and that bid the same for Noble.
The calm surroundings and with Raja by his side, he felt at peace for the time being. He felt no horns on his head or scales on his chest. He only felt the cool breeze around him and the soft fair behind him. He listened to the trees swaying in the wind, and the heavy breathing of his feline. Everything felt so . . . relieving, even if it were to only last for the night.
"Leo, when he gets in this trance of his, it's pure." Raja heard in his mind, recognizing the voice as his own but not, "He is finally at peace. This is when he will truly watch the wonders and think back. He will know that you will always be at his side, as I was. Be free, be true, and always make him smile like he is. Only then, will he will always be beautiful."
The stars were out, and both beast and tamer watched. The constellation of a lion shone brightly in the sky as all the brother's signs decided to play tonight. Raja didn't know if it was a sign, something whispering to them, but he damn sure well knew that as long as there were those stars in the skies, he will always find Leo. He would always find a way to jump him off his feet and give him what he deserves.
Peace, tranquility, calm, love, all of those. Noble displayed all those in his silver eyes alone. The love in his petting palm, peace in his relaxed limbs, calm in his expression, tranquility in his soul, they were all noticeable to the lion. One day, when all of this is over with, he was going to see that every day, the lion swore it.
For the time being, this was more than enough. The smile on his lips was beyond words, more beautiful than the moon goddess herself. His eyes turning to gaze onto Raja with much intensity. They screamed love for the lion, and Raja was no different himself.
Raja made an oath, a swear to himself, that he would do everything in his power to make Noble the happiest man alive. He swore on his pride that he would do it, even if it takes him his last breath to achieve it.