"𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐤𝐢𝐬?" I asked Paul as pulled some grass from the earth and examined it 

"Yes, I believe so," he said standing up and looking into the water. A huge ship-like structure was rising from the water "our stuff is being packed today, we leave tomorrow"

"Are you nervous?"

"Of course I am, we know nothing of life outside of our planet, we don't know what it will be like. It's like Gurney said, he's had experience and we haven't" the two of us walked down to the shore and Paul stuck his hand into the clear water "you were right too"

"About what?" I stood on a rock looking out at the water and the sunset that was reflecting off of the surface

"you said that everything was going to change" he paused and lifted his hand from the water "you were right, it is going to change, I just hope we don't lose our way" I frowned and looked at my own reflection, this could be the last time for a very long time that I would see water so clear

"We'll be ok" I assured him sensing fear in him "we'll look out for each other, just as we've always done" he nodded and smiled softly

"I've asked my father for you to be with us when we get to Arrakis, he agreed and said you could be with the family and Gurney when we step foot onto the sands," Paul told me

"My brother won't like that, neither will Zack," I said

"I don't mind" he replied "they can be mad as they want but you've always been by my side Mila, I don't want that to change" for some reason that gave me a bad feeling, almost like he was foreshadowing something. 

When I got back to my room Blaise was waiting for me "hi?" I gave him a small smile before gathering a few of my belongings and putting them in a wooden box 

"I heard that you are traveling with the Atreides tomorrow" he frowned 

"How'd you hear that?"

"I have my ways" he walked over to me "he won't be with you forever Mila"

"Why the hell would you say that?" I asked stopping in my tracks "tell me"

"No one ever stays" Blaize sighed "you have to understand that" 

"I don't need this right now" I grumbled pushing my way past him 

"One day you'll know I'm right" 

◈◆◈◆◈◆◈◆◈

Five days later

"Sheilds" One of the officers yelled, the guards around us put their shields on 

"My lungs face the air of time blown past falling sands" Gurney quoted as the doors of the craft started to move 

I shielded my eyes from the sun as the spacecraft opened, it was windy and hard to see due to all the sand in the air. Paul gripped my hand tightly as the bagpipe began to play a haunting tune. We had made it to Arrakis, the planet of the spice. The duke walked out first, Lady Jessica, Paul, and I came after, we were surrounded by guards who made sure we were safe.

We continued to walk through the sand and wind, Arrakis was quite bland, but that was expected since it was basically a desert. "Thufir Hawat!" Paul said happily running to give Thufir a hug

"Young master, how does it feel to walk on the new world?" he asked with a broad grin 

" Exciting, to say the least" Paul grinned, when Thufir saw the duke coming he quickly bowed but Leto just smile 

"How are you old friend?" he asked Thufir, Paul turned to me dragging my attention away from the two men.

"We made it" I slung my arm around his shoulder 

"Yes we did" we continued to follow the guards and I notice a bunch of Freymen pointing at us, they must be just as scared as we are. 

"Lisan al-Gaib" some of them yelled, I wasn't sure what they meant but their fingers were pointed at Paul. They knew cruelty for the past 80 years and would no doubt be apprehensive about us. On their land, we were basically Aliens. The Freymen bowed down when we passed which I thought was odd, I didn't expect that

"Don't be fooled by the warm welcoming" Thufir said as we went to board another aircraft "they follow their own masters who said it was mandatory" Jessica got on first followed by Paul and then me "let's get you out of the sun, the heat can kill in this place"

"They were pointing at us," Paul said, "what were they shouting?" we both looked to his mother for the answer 

"Lisan al-Gaib, the voice from the outer world. Their name for Massiah" Jessica answered calmly "it means the Bene Gesserit have done a work here"

"Planting superstitions?"

"Preparing the way, Paul, Mila, these people have waited centuries for the Lisan al-Gaib, they see you, Paul, they see the signs" 

"They see what they've been told to see" he frowned and looked at his hands which lay neatly in his lap 

"We're good to go" Thufir announced as the aircraft lifted from the ground, the aircraft was oddly shaped, somewhat like a dragonfly. We flew over big rocks and mountains, over the dunes, and through the clouded sky "the storm wall protects the city from storms, and the worms"

"Worms?" I questioned as we flew over the city 

"They are a factor of making the spice," Jessica told me "they protect it too, pray that you never meet one" I nodded and watched as the aircraft landed inside a huge monument 

"It seems so peaceful" I murmured 

"That's what worries me" Paul whispered back. We were led to our rooms first which were quite nice, mine was near Pauls and my brothers, just like before. It was dead quiet which wasn't very comforting in this situation.

"Do you think we can go out?" I asked Paul as I looked out the window

"Sure, but only if we stay on the grounds," he told me "my mother would have a fit if we ventured off, it's not smart to start exploring right away"

"That doesn't mean I don't want too" I laughed as we walked to the exit "do you think there are any trees?"

"There are palm trees" he pointed to twenty palm trees that were in a row, there was someone watering the trees with a ladle "hello," Paul said, I shifted my weight uncomfortably. As much as I wanted to explore Jessica was right, anything and anyone could be dangerous 

The mysterious person stood up straight "you two shouldn't be out here at this time of the day" the man's voice was low and calm 

"They're out here" Paul pointed to some people in the distance"

"They don't care about heatstroke" the man replied 

"I didn't know date palms could be found out here" I spoke up, I looked at the palm trees that waved in the wind 

"Oh, they aren't indigenous, they can't survive without me" Paul touched the bark of the tree as the man talked "each one of these, every day, drinks the equivalent of five men, twenty palm trees, one hundred lives" 

"Should we remove them?" Paul asked furrowing his eyebrows "save the water"

"Oh, no, no, no, no" the man shook his head "these are sacred"

◈◆◈◆◈◆◈◆◈

"What is that?" I asked walking into a room, Paul stood in the middle of it inspecting an image engraved upon the walls 

"That's the sandworm," he said pressing a button on a projector, a low and smooth voice floated out of a speaker 

The largest and most dangerous organism on Arrakis is the sandworm, capable of reaching up to 100 meters in length. Avoid making rhythmic noises that attract sandworms. To cross over the desert use the sand walk, a dance-like motion with an irregular rhythm that emulates the natural sounds of the desert 

The projector then switched to a type of plant that grew in the desert"Aww, look" Paul pointed to a small mouse on the projector, he grinned as he watched the mouse nibble. Suddenly his face went rigid "Mila..." he turned his head to the side 

"What?" I asked in alarm as he seemed to be listening for something, Paul raised his hand and pointed to something that had come out of the wall. It was small and it was flying 

"Paul...what is that?" I asked as it turned towards us and started rising in the air 

"Shhh" he grabbed my arm and pulled me into the projected grass, would it hide us? is that what he was thinking. We stood there in silence as I gripped onto him firmly, I was nervous, nothing had ever come out of the wall and looked at us before. Suddenly it rushed at Paul and stopped right before its long point hit him in the eye. I let out a whimper but Paul didn't move one inch. I had a suspicion about what it was and it wasn't good. 

I was so on nerve that I screamed when the door opened, grabbed my knife, and hurled it at the wall. I was lucky that I missed my target because a woman stood at the door in shock

"I'm so sorry," I said quickly pulling my knife from the wall "I-I just got spooked"  

"Mila, look" I turned to see a crushed bird, looking machine in Paul's hand 

"Is that?"

"A hunter seeker" he finished "an operator must be nearby" I widened my eyes at Paul, A hunter seeker was often used by assassins and could only be controlled from close by. The hunter seeker had a small needle on the front that was dipped in a deadly poison. Someone wanted Paul dead and that someone was inside the walls of the monument. 

◈◆◈◆◈◆◈◆◈

"Mila! are you alright, what happened?" Zack rushed into my room followed by Blaise. Paul and I sat at a table, we had been discussing the attack of the hunter seeker 

"You should be asking Paul," I told him "it was after him" 

"But you could have gotten hit" Zack snapped "all because of him, the duke's heir"

"What did you just say?" Paul asked in outrage "are you suggesting that she isn't safe around the duke's son?"

"Ding ding ding" Zack growled "powerful families have enemies, anyone else is collateral damage" 

"I'll never let her get hurt"

"That's what you think"

"I will"

"Have you seen yourself, you have no strength"

"Excuse me!" 

"Stop!" I yelled slamming my fist on the table "Zack I'm perfectly fine and I always have been. Paul is right, I'm safe and if I'm not I'm quite capable of protecting myself" 

"I have to agree with Zack" Blaize spoke up 

"Shut up" I hissed at my brother "both of you have never approved of my friendship with Paul but this is enough, I'm safe, ok. Until I almost die because of him, you can't say he's dangerous to be around" 

Blaize scoffed "don't be naive" 

"I'm not," I told him sternly "just go"

"Mila-"

"Now, both of you" Zack and Blaize nodded before leaving the room "I'm sorry" I sighed resting my head on Paul's shoulder "it's not your fault"

"I know, they just make it hard to believe" 

Sorry for the late update guys! I've been kinda busy hehe.