you know we're gonna be legends

aryan nakai//twenty one//chief of the omaticaya

Aryan knew that they needed to reach the rainbow grasses before nightfall, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the river. For the first time in a long time, he was having fun. As he and the princess played their game, splashing each other, their laughter ringing through the air, everything else seemed to leave his mind. There were no worries or responsibilities, only the way Raenessa looked at him; there was no longer the fear he had first seen when he'd met her, but something else entirely, something he could not name.

Eventually the pair tired out, and they swam back to the bank, laying on their stomachs. The mixture of the scalding hot sun above and the cool lapping water below almost lulled Aryan to sleep. He laid his head on his arm and closed his eyes. Then Raenessa said his name, and he lifted his head, turning to look at her. He saw where she had drawn in the wet sand with her finger, and then his gaze focused on what she was asking about.

As soon as he recognized the large, reptilian prints, Aryan tensed. He lifted his face to the air and inhaled. The dank scent was still fresh, and the creature could be nearby. Without a word, Aryan lifted himself up to the standing position, and he reached for Raenessa's hand, helping her up as well. He then hurried toward the horses, untying them and leading them back toward the boulder. He began to pack up the food, his actions showing just how in a hurry he was.

When Raenessa reached him, he looked her over, noticing her soaking wet dress that was covered in sand and other debris. After a moment, he reached for his shirt, which was warm from sitting in the sun's heat. He tossed it to her, and said, "Wear this. It is dry."

While the princess changed, Aryan made sure to turn his back away, not wanting to invade her privacy or offend her. Instead he sat down and began to place his riding boots back onto his feet. Deciding to answer her question from earlier, he told her, "They belong to a dragon. They are big and dangerous, a threat to the tribes."

Once she was finished dressing herself, he turned back around to face her. His shirt was large and long enough to cover her, and she could use the scarf to tie her wet hair back. She was quite small, but most humans were. Shifters were naturally taller, their version of short was six feet tall. Perhaps she would grow taller after the transformation, though it wouldn't be by much. Connall had grown a few inches, but he was still the shortest shifter in their tribe.

"We must leave," Aryan said, his hands reaching for her waist. He then lifted her onto her mare, and he hurried to mount his own horse. The black stallion snorted and shook its head, seeming to sense the tension. Aryan kicked into his sides, causing the horse to take off back into the woods. They did not stop until they were a safe distance away.

Now that they were back on the right trail, Aryan slowed down and fell back into comfortable silence. The sky was a deep blue, though darkening quickly, and high above them a hunting hawk circled. Before them was a ridge, and on the other side were the rainbow grasses. Aryan brought his horse to halt, and he turned to Raenessa.

"Are you ready?" He asked with that knowing smile of his. They were far from danger now, and he knew that she would find the grasses beautiful. As soon as she answered, he urged his horse forward and over the ridge. Below them was a flat expanse of endless grasses, the tall blades rippling in the wind. Instead of a sea of green, the grass was clear. If not for the fluidity of their movement, it would appear to be a field of glass. The sea of grass swayed and sighed with each breath of wind, and the air was warm on his face. He felt at peace.

The descent was steep and rocky, but they rode on. At the bottom of the ridge, the grasses rose around them, tall and supple, swallowing them up. As they rode out into the plain, Aryan kept an eye on the sun and its descent. Any moment now, the sun would set. Bringing his horse to a halt once more, Aryan dismounted, albeit clumsily since he had not gotten the hang of it yet, and helped Raenessa down from her horse.

Aryan then pointed to the setting sun, and said, "Look."

As the sun set, it cast its last light onto the island, and the sea of grass came alive with color. The translucent grasses acted like prisms in the setting sun's light, casting rainbows all around them. Despite the growing darkness around them, the field of grass was lit brightly, almost as bright as the sun itself. Aryan looked to Raenessa, who was covered in rainbows, no matter where she turned. He then looked down at himself, at the light reflecting onto his skin. It was beautiful, and would only last until the sun would set.

aryan nakai//twenty one//chief of the omaticaya

Aryan was watching the princess' reaction with a faint smile, his lips curved ever so slightly. The way she lit up at the colorful spectacle, her jaw slack and her lilac eyes wide, made his heart beat even faster in his chest. Every time she moved, the rainbows moved with her, shifting and gliding, moving fluidly to match her movements. They even brought color to her pale white hair, and it made him want to reach out and feel it.

The grasses were taller than both of them, taller than their horses, to the point where they could hardly see the setting sun. All they could see was the blushing sky above them slowly changing from blue, to purples and oranges and reds, to black. Wind blew the grasses and caused the rainbows to almost shimmer, the way sunlight glistened on water. Closing his eyes, Aryan inhaled deeply, taking in the camphoraceous scent of the grass surrounding them.

When he opened his eyes again, he watched her spin around, enjoying herself. He started to say something, but then she grabbed hold of his arm, and all thoughts left his mind. She looked up at him with those innocent doe eyes of hers, her words like a soft whisper on the breeze. The fact that she was touching his bare arm caused him to stiffen, not used to such a familiar touch with someone besides his sister. His arm was bare and silky with hairs, and her ivory soft hand was settled there, her warmth spreading throughout his body.

He looked at her then, really looked at her, and he saw something there. It sparked something deep inside of him, something he didn't know even existed until now. He'd never felt such a connection to anyone else before, not the way he felt for Raenessa. It was almost as if they couldn't help but gravitate toward each other, as if the universe had made them for one another.

"Me neither," he responded, only he didn't mean the grasses or the rainbows.

Aryan lifted his hand to hers, gently lifting it from his muscular arm. His fingers entwined slowly with hers, and suddenly, life made sense. He understood every love song sung around campfires, understood what his parents had once shared. Perhaps it was too early to tell for her, but with his kind, they just knew when someone was right for them.

He lifted their hands in the space between them, moving them in the flickering light that surrounded them, the wind blowing their hair around them. His powerful well-muscled body moved with easy grace as he crossed the space between them, lowering their hands to the side. He had to tilt his head downward to look at her for now, but he was certain that would change once she was one of them.

"I hope our wedding is soon," he said sincerely. He was usually a patient man, but when it came to Raenessa becoming his mate, he wanted it to be as soon as possible. He did not want to wait to hold her in his arms in their shared bed or make love to her under the night sky and to have many children with her. He was already so infatuated with her, and any fool who looked at him could tell.

"Tomorrow you learn language." Aryan's eyes searched hers. "It is first step."

He already had a tutor for her in mind. Connall had once spoken the Common Tongue, and had taught himself Na'vi. He was certain that he would be able to teach Raenessa how to speak the language, so that they may communicate better. He knew that the language barrier was a bit of an issue, especially when they already had the cultural barriers to overcome. Once she was able to speak freely and easily with their people, they would come to know her as he did, and admiration would follow.

And then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the rainbow lights faded until they were gone. They were left surrounded by transparent grass that was illuminated by the moonlight. Above them, the stars scattered themselves, blinking down at them with a warning. As beautiful as the rainbow grasses were, they were close to Tìkawng Atxkxe, the land where the dragons lay. They roamed freely at night, hunting for prey, and one shifter and a human were no match for a full grown dragon.

"Now we head back," Aryan said with a solemn expression. As much as he enjoyed this experience with her, he did not want to put her life in danger. Humans were easy prey on this island, and predators were naturally attracted to her for that reason, hence the mountain lion attacking her on her first day. Every predator for miles around could smell her, and they would be tracking her down until they were safely back in the village.

aryan nakai//twenty one//chief of the omaticaya

As they began their journey back toward the village, Aryan kept a watchful eye out. The island was filled with dangerous creatures of all sorts, some beasts that were not found anywhere else in the world. Some countries believed Adarlan to be a cursed island, a place where all monsters were exiled. If only they could see the beauty that it held. It was a place of splendor, not of darkness.

When he had first met Raenessa, he had seen the fear in her eyes, had smelled it on all of the humans. He knew what they would have told her about him and his people; that they were wild barbaians that could not be tamed. Though they were a wild people, they were not the savages that the rest of the world made them out to be. They did not eat human flesh or prey on innocent girls like the rumors said. It made him sick when he first heard such gossip. Doing such a thing was punishable in his tribe and all others.

When he heard her say his name, he slowly glanced to the side, not wanting to take his eyes off of their surroundings. Distractions would get them killed. Still, he wanted to hear what she had to say. He shifted in his saddle as he listened, and the horse huffed beneath him. He was a beautiful stallion; black with a spotted white rear, and a mane and tail so long they dragged. He seemed to fit in a place such as this.

"You are welcome," Aryan said, clutching his reins a bit harder and straightening his posture. He was glad that she had fun, and that the fear he had seen yesterday was no longer there. He wanted her to feel comfortable here, to feel like this place was home. She was going to be spending the rest of her life there, and he did not want her to be miserable because of it.

They spent the rest of their ride in silence, moving at a slow pace so not to attract too much attention to themselves. Every once in a while he would glance toward her to check on her. The constant hum of crickets and cicadas filled the air like music. Moonlight shone down through the leaves above them, shifting in the wind. It was a warm night, and it did not bother him that he was shirtless.

At last they reached the field beyond the walls of the village. Aryan stopped and glanced at the open sky, at the haunting full moon. He knew it was still early in the night. He could hear the life of the village from across the field, could hear them hooting and hollering, could hear the banging of drums. His stomach growled, and suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He knew that Raenessa must have been hungry as well.

Aryan led her back toward the secret entrance behind the palace, moving the curtain of moss aside. A guard was standing nearby, and as soon as he noticed the chief, he gave a nod and went to find Connall. In the meantime, he led their horses toward the pasture. A slave opened the gate for them, and stood by, waiting for orders. Aryan dismounted, and already he felt more at ease. As much as he enjoyed horseback riding, he would always feel more comfortable traveling in either of his natural forms.

After helping Raenessa down from her silvery white mare, he entwined their fingers again, holding her hand at his side. He called the slave forward, and the human was quick to open the gate for them. Aryan led his betrothed out of the yard, while the slave went to care for the horses. As they were making their way back toward the palace, Connall approached them.

"It has been calm here. No troubles out of the ordinary," Connall assured Aryan before he could ask. "How was your trip?"

Aryan nodded once and said, "It was good. Very fun."

This made Connall raise his eyebrows in surprise. He then glanced toward Raenessa, and he offered a knowing smile. "I am glad you had a good time."

The older man looked to the princess, noticing she was wearing Aryan's shirt. Then he saw that they were holding hands, and there was a question in his gaze. He spoke to Raenessa, "Will you be joining us for dinner?"

Aryan frowned at that. He had arranged for her to have dinner in her rooms, not to join them. Unlike other countries, they did not have a dining hall. Not officially. The chief ate in the village among his people, laughing and drinking around the fire, watching the dancers and singing songs. His people were often rowdy, and not always fully dressed, and possibly even making love under the night sky for all to see. He wasn't sure that Raenessa would approve of this. He gave a warning glare at Connall, making sure Raenessa didn't see it.