100 Theme Challenge #80

80. Warmth

The sun felt good against the back of his neck and arms. Naya sighed in delight and slicked back his wet hair. The water splattered around him as he swam his way back to the shore. His large golden eyes scanned the area carefully; making sure no other being was around. It was a rare day he could have free time and get to the sun, so he wanted to enjoy it as much as possible with no incident. His feet touched the slim bed of sand and half-walked, half-swam the rest of the way. He slowly emerged from the water, enjoyed the way the warmth of the sun hugged every inch of him. He didn't waste any time before removing his soaked clothes, and soon he was wearing nothing but his pale blue skin. He stretched all the way to the tip of his toes and grinned. He laid on the beach on his back, closing his eyes because they couldn't tolerate the light for too long, and simply relaxed. It was the first time he could enjoy himself alone, without his sisters or brothers present to annoy and distract him. The sound of the waves were calming him and helping him to escape his responsibilities for one day.

He didn't realize he fell asleep until he woke up by something wet touching his face. He frowned and turned on his side, but something else soft brushed his back, and he jolted awake. There was a small beast in front of him, looking at him with brown eyes and its tongue out. Its tail moved. It didn't look menacing though, and Naya slowly approached his hand towards it, which sniffed it. It licked it, and he watched as it pushed the top of its head against its palm. It wanted to be pet. He did so, awkwardly at first, but he gained assurance and soon, the beast was leaning against him, tickling him with his fur. Naya giggled and hugged the beast to him, caressing its back. It felt so fluffy… and it licked his shoulder and left spit all over. Naya grunted in annoyance, but he was still smiling when he gently pushed the beast away. It ran around him and barked happily, and Naya laughed.

"Kalas!" A shout came from much closer than expected. The beast, which apparently went by the name of Kalas, ran towards the voice, leaving Naya alone on the beach, afraid and unsure of what he should do next. He picked up his clothes and ran to hide behind bushes close by. He waited, heart thumping loud in his ears, and it wasn't long something glittered in the sunlight, and it was coming closer. He drew a gasp of panic when he realized it was a male human in a traditional armor, the well-known silhouette of a sword hanging at his side. The man was saying something to the small beast, with affection in his tone. It calmed Naya a bit, he didn't seem a threat, despite the heavy-looking gear. He followed the beast to the water, and Naya could see sweat dripping down the back of his neck, for they were that close. He watched as the man unfastened his belt and began to work on the laces attaching his armor pieces. They fell one by one on the sand to reveal sun-kissed skin, the muscles running thick underneath it. He made his way to the water, the beast hopping around excitedly, and he hummed with satisfaction.

Naya came out of the bushes and slowly walked to the man, golden eyes always watching for any danger. He wondered why the man was alone here with that beast, he seemed to be a soldier, so he should be with his infantry. Naya didn't even know the place was inhabited… at least last time he'd came here, but it had been a few centuries ago. Showing himself to the human wasn't the wisest decision, but he was interested to know what he would do. Were the mortals aware they weren't alone?

The man turned around at some point and saw Naya. His gaze slid up and down his distinct appearance, and after a lingering moment, he asked something in a language Naya didn't understand. He frowned and shook his head, cracking a small smile. The man, with his brown locks and soft features, was pretty, and Naya approached him, slowly ascending into the water; a new idea forming in his head.

(What is 100TC?)