(This is a little shorter than what I usually write, so yeah, it's a little short. Important though! Thanks!)
Much to his pains, Raja felt himself wake from his brief daze. How long he had been out, he did not know. He knew for certain that something was different. But when he tried to sit up, he was only greeted by the sharp pains in his lower back. He groaned before slowly slipping off the layers of warmth to reveal he was named underneath.
Noble was nowhere to be found, and he was starting to worry. He had to take things slow in order to get up properly without injuring himself further. After a few minutes he progressed to get up on his feet, he rummaged through the pile of clothes provided for both of them. It felt weird for the lion that his tamer was already as tall as him but wider shoulders than Raja.
Raja chose something simple and sweet. He inched into a black tunic, and slowly, he pulled up leather trousers. A belt secured them in place, and black boots slipped onto his feet perfectly. Though the sunshine, it was still cold outside. He tied a cloak on his shoulders, so he wouldn't draw too much attention with his white hair. it would also help keep the cold out even when he was an incubator of heat himself.
He was greeted by two guards as still as a post standing outside his tent. He could just walk by himself, but those same guards stopped him.
"Sir, Lord Leo strictly ordered us to stay by the tent until you've awoken. Please report to him immediately!" The man seemed scared to be in the presence of a lion, a god no less. His friend on the other side of the entrance bid no better.
"Do you know where I might find him then?" Raja's voice was somewhat colder than he expected, and it even cracked up an octave. Noble really drained him of his energy, not like he was complaining. His back, however, could beg to disagree.
"Lord Leo and Mistress Lina has moved to the main tent to talk. That is all the information that I have with me at the moment, Sir Tharros." The other spat out. By the looks of it, these men hadn't been here long.
Why is that name familiar? Raja thought to himself before waving his thoughts away. Finding Noble was more important than thoughts such as those. He nodded to the two and surprised them both by smiling, "Thank you."
Though his cloak continued to split in the middle, it was not so hard to conceal his noticeable hair underneath. The cloak was mostly for the humans who populated the camp more so the other races. The closer he got to the big tent, the more condensed the crowds became. He did stop in his journey for a quick stop to gather his surroundings.
The resistance camp provoked different smells depending on your location. The dirt roads smelled of pine and burning wood, something Raja would never get enough of. The market was a decent size for a big, condensed population such as the camp. No doubt there was more and more coming in every day. Pretty soon, the camp will become a base, a city for the poor and the magical. Spices and the artificial scent of goods being made had ridden that part.
Raja's favorite part was when he passed the large tent that housed all the children. Most stared at him with awe, because they saw nothing but a star. A man with skin of glowing light and blue eyes that promised safety. He had even approached the tent and entered inside where a horde of children attacked his legs. He crouched down with a smile on his face because it brought no greater joy than to see children smiling in a time of rising war.
"My Papa said that you were a big lion," A female elf gasped. She bore dark brown hair, brown eyes, and looked the age of seven or eight, "He said that we pray to the big lion for courage in battle."
"Yeah! My pop is one of the hunters that get food. He has a pendant with a big lion on it! He says that it gives him the courage to fight bears and wolves!" The child was smaller than the others, obviously of dwarf origin. he had bright red hair and vibrant green eyes.
All of them began to talk at once before Raja could take in his fill. He wished them byes before exiting the tent, thinking back to what they had told him. One who looked around thirteen had explained that all the soldiers in the castle wore those as a symbol of the royal guard as well as a token to give them courage in times of need. This really did a toll on Raja as he began to realize just how important he was. To all of these soldiers and common folk, he was the one to look to for confidence in not only their self but in the world.
It was hard to swallow.
"You look like you're having fun." Lily chuckled, suddenly popping out of nowhere, "So, did it happen?"
"What?"
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about, little brother," Lily smirked and waved her arm through his. There was only a small frame of time to get her little brother to fess up before he flocks to Noble again. The red that stained his copper cheeks answered her question in no time.
"If you must be picky to hear, Lily," Raja sighed as he thought back to their time together, redder stained his cheeks, "It happened, but do not get your hopes up. I will not give you an ounce of information. Now, I must find Noble and there find a healer."
Raja left his older sister in the middle of the dirt path with her mouth wide and body still. Maybe, he shouldn't have added that last part, but a healer did sound well in his favor. He had to find Noble because he sensed something had happened. Whether it was some emotional distress or physical change because of their bonding ritual.
*
"So, where would father be, Papa?" Lina asked through no tears or emotions. She steadily followed her father down the path back to the camp where she would lead him into her tent.
"He's resting," Noble smiled. His face was still red from his tears, but now he wore no sign of any tears only to be left with color. Much to the tamer's relief, his upcoming tent in front of him hadn't be disturbed with the guards standing like he ordered them too.
"I do hope he is awake in the next hour. I've been waiting years for him, and for you, of course," Lina giggled. Her tough face she showed to every soldier had melted into a fit of smiles from seeing her beloved Papa for the first time in thirty-nine years, "I want to celebrate for the night as we see to your return once more."
"That's quite sweet of you, Lina," Noble was honestly enticed at how sweet his daughter had stayed these years. She still wore a smile while she still was able to pull off her dimples.
"But in all truth," Lina breathed, "It really makes me happy to see you again . . . After I heard the incident in the mountains, I gathered forces and allies quickly . . . in hopes that it would be you. Valider did not specify who it was, but he was 'important to the crown'. I had my hopes up high . . . as I've already said, haha!"
Noble sucked in his own breath at her words before he closed his eyes. He snatched her hand into his and pulled her into a hug, ultimately fulfilling the urge to kiss her forehead. It felt . . . right, "I don't plan on leaving and neither does Raja."
That's when Lina burst into laughter while she pulled her father into her tent, leaving Noble confused, "Raja? What a fitting name for Father."
"Why? What does it mean?"
"It means 'King' in the old text," Lina pulled out a chair for Noble. The tamer sat down while Lina pulled a chair of her own. The inside of the tent was similar to his own, but it was connected to the tent full of tacticians and maps, assumed to be the planning hall. She snapped Noble out of his daze, "So, tell me. How has this life treated you?"
"Many hardships, I can say," Noble began, "Not a month and a half ago, I was just a normal teenager in my village. I was weak and frail like I was destined to be before Raja, well . . . crept his way into Meridth while I was helping with the festival. He even snapped our 'unbreakable' handcuffs. It was quite the day too."
"Sounds like it," Lina giggled, "What happened next?"
Noble explained how he had gotten his first kiss from a thief and how he was oblivious to the emperor visiting his village. He told her how he got his beast stone which still hung from his neck and how his own descendant had given him his brand again. Lina especially loved the part where they had stayed with a pack of werewolves for some time before returning to Meridth. Noble shrugged through his explanation of his powers surfacing only for the church to tell him that he was the first son of the Moon Goddess and the first Sun God.
"I remember when you told me that I was technically a princess goddess when I was around sixteen," Lina gazed to the side with a pinch of nostalgia in her silver eyes, "I knew I was a princess, but a goddess? I couldn't believe it. I was called one as a child, but I never really believed it . . . That's when Grandmother finally revealed herself that night."
"Wait, Luna revealed herself to you? Physically?" Noble didn't believe her words. Had Luna visited the land below? It was something Noble couldn't really comprehend actually happening.
"That's right. She came through my window in the moonlight. She looked so beautiful with her lush toga and her train following behind her. That's when she branded me officially," Lina lifted her palm to reveal the same mark Noble had in his own said palm, "She said I was the offspring of The God of Royalty and the God of Courage and Strength which bestowed the title of Goddess of Freedom and The Hunt."
Just as Lina finished her story, a man of status, maybe a general or commander, entered the tent with a stern expression. He looked annoyed and tired, but he still delivered his message quite clearly, "Lady Lina, there has been a sighting of new, very injured humans and a troll outside the camp not far, and a man requests to enter the camp. Shall I let him in?"
"Send three hunters and a healer to retrieve them, and please do send in whoever wishes to enter. I shall not be disturbed again while I am with my father." Lina frowned at the man before waving him off.
"I apologize. I will be off." And he was gone.
"Noble?" Raja entered the tent with a cloak hiding his wild hair and his tall frame. Noble stood to his feet, but Raja beat him to the hug. Arms wrapped around his neck before Noble could react fast. He ignored the lady.
"Raja, it's good to see you're recovered enough," Noble smiled with a mischievous glint in his eyes while he pulled back the lion, "Lina, may I present you, Raja."
This must be this Lina they're talking about, Raja thought before voicing his thoughts, "I apologize for the intrusion . . . I was worried when I did not see him in the tent I awoke."
Lina cocked her eyebrow before glancing back at Noble with confusion and a little hurt, "So, you're telling me he doesn't remember me?"
"What do you ever mean?" Raja questioned.
"Raja," Noble turned the lion's body towards Lina until they were both staring at each other intensely, "I want you to look at this girl for a minute until something clicks inside your head, got it?"
Raja did what he was told. He intensely stared at Lina for a straight minute and a half. His eyes softened when the image of a little girl flowed through his mind. They were in the stables in a pile of hay while the girl played with Raja's tail. He remembered that she loved to hear him purr because she absolutely loved cats and how they made that funny sound in their throat. She would sometimes snuggle into his mane while she was on his back with her Papa, and it was the best feeling in the world to him.
He wasn't going to cry, but he definitely surprised her when he pulled her body to his own slim one. She dug her face into his chest while she basked in her feline father's warmth. That's when Noble joined the hug with each father on either side of her. It felt complete for all three of them.
They were finally back together as one small family again.
It all crashed down when shouts could be heard from outside the tent. Lina wasn't so able to let go of Raja just yet, and neither was he. Noble, on the other hand, gave one good rub on Lina's back and a kiss on the neck for Raja before darting outside to inspect what was going on.
Those three injured had fallen to the ground, but something about them felt so familiar to Noble. He approached carefully before finally spotting someone that he didn't expect he would see so soon. His mother lay on the ground with labored breathing before she turned her gaze on Noble. At first, she hadn't recognized the man, but it soon became clear when she saw those loving silver eyes meet hers.
"Don't worry, Mother," Noble lifted her off the ground, ignoring the calls of those around him, and ran straight to the healer's tent. He cared for nothing else in that very moment, only the huge bruise on her side and the cuts of her wrists.