"He-hehe funny bumping into you here…"
Victor says smiling
"he-hehe…"
"Right…"
Xavier responds an awkward smile plastered on
"I wonder how much of that he heard…"
He thinks embarrassed…
"Wanna head in together??"
Xavier says scratching his head still a little embarrassed.
"Sure why not??"
His father responds grabbing him closer
"Hmmm…"
Victor thinks
"The unbiased, unconditional resolve of a child huh?"
He thinks to himself as he they make for the home.
"Naïve?"
"Yes."
"However, that's the beauty of childhood."
He reminds himself as he watches Xavier quiver in embarrassment.
An unconditional sense of commitment to do what you deem is right regardless of what it might mean to any and every one beside them.
Something Victor has never once had in his life.
"I wish I had some of that"
He mumbles to himself
"Huh??"
Xavier exclaims, his father's words having just barely passed him.
"Oh nothing…"
Victor says with a smile on his smile on his face
"…"
"You're a good kid Xavier Grey."
He says
"eeeeehhhh… where's all this coming from???"
Xavier responds cheeks turning a bright red from how off-guard his father's praise caught him
"Hehe… C'mere boy lets go bother your mom."
Victor says as he takes Xavier up on his shoulders
"Whoa wait wai- wait FATHER!!!"
Xavier lets out a little confused and in shock
Before eventually brushing it off and beginning to laugh along with his father on their way.
"We're home!!!"
That night,
The family had another one of their routine dinners…
Of course there lingered the feelings from that morning wrapped around in there somewhere.
But more than that was a renewed sense of peace
With all members of this small family having seemingly their resolve on what lies ahead.
And decided what path they'd take.
Regardless of what it would mean for the rest…
-The Next Day-
"Hurry! Hurry! Victor you'll be late for work!!!"
Risa calls out urgently
"Arrrgghh…"
"AAAAAAARRRRRGGGH!!!"
"Shoe…"
"Shoe!"
"Where's my shoe?!?"
Victor replies??
In a panicked and staggered tone.
"Xavi help your father find his shoes…"
Risa calls out to Xavier
"Shoe Risa!!!"
"Shoe!!"
"Am only missing one…"
Victor cuts in, in a panic
"How is that even…?"
Risa begins to mumble confused…
"Shoe Xavi…shoe."
Risa repeats…
"Mylo!"
"Go boy find the shoe."
Xavier shouts to the husky.
But alas his calls fall on deaf ears as Mylo just moans and gets comfortable awaiting his breakfast.
"HEY!"
Victor shouts
"Hey!!!"
"I feed you!"
Victor says threatening the pup with finger points.
"Arrff! Arrff!!"
And as if somehow understanding the threat…
The pup gets to work looking for the shoe upstairs.
…Huh…
Well what do you know…
Hurray for the power of food I guess…
Anyway…
The house is in a frenzy in the morning.
So that's definitely new…
And as Mylo returns with the shoe in mouth rushing down the stairs.
"There it is hunnie."
Risa makes Victor aware.
"Oh thanks Mylo."
"Sorry I questioned your contribution to the family."
Victor says a big smile on his face as he rubs Mylo's fluffy white face and takes the shoe.
"Breakfast???"
Risa asks immediately after.
"Ah…ah…."
"I'll just take some buns to go."
He responds in a rush putting on the shoe before turning and grabbing the entire basket.
"HEY!!!!"
Xavier shouts subconsciously, getting everyone's attention and putting everything on hold.
"Ahh…"
"well… don't take them all y'know…"
He says embarrassed caught off-guard by his own actions
Risa and Victor stare at Xavier…
Then at each other.
"Hm..hm…"
"Well I could always bake some more Xavi."
Risa chuckles to herself before scuffling up Xavier hair.
"Eh… aaah"
Xavier exclaims awkwardly, embarrassed reclining to his sit…
"Eeeeh…."
"Noff shance you shnooze you wuse kiddo."
Victor says bun in mouth still trying to knot his shoe.
"Chew your food dear."
Risa says getting close to him to fix his collar while Xavier pouts arms crossed.
"Bye hunnie."
Victor says standing up properly
"Bye Xavi..."
"And good day to you Sir Mylo!!"
"Bye!!!"
With Xavier and Risa responding in chorus
Victor swings open the door to make it out only to be stopped by the sight of Jerry at their door staring him down.
"Oh?"
"Jerry… "
"Sorry am late."
"You wouldn't believe the morning I've had…"
Victor says with a blank expression
"…"
He says to no reply from Jeremy who remains silent.
Continuing only to stare straight at Victor
"hunnie you forgot your…"
"Oh Jerry… great to see you, Vic was just on his way."
Risa says with a smile on her face handing Victor his bag and straightening out his shoulders.
"Great to see you too Mrs. Grey."
Jeremy responds softly.
Unchanging in the uneasy tone and air about his arrival
"Hello Uncle Jerry."
Xavier shouts from the inside having just noticed him.
To which Jeremy responds by nodding.
"Victor we need to talk."
The words leave Jerry's mouth coldly as he stares back at Victor.
"Uhhh… yeah."
Victor responds
"Good day hun."
He kisses Marissa and he and Jerry begin to walk towards the giant oak tree that marks the beginning of the field.
Upon looking him up and down properly
Victor notices the bags under his eyes…
And the scruffy way in which he appears…
All signals of a man running on little to no sleep.
And seeing as how he rushed here without a care for his appearance at all…
"What's happened Jeremy?"
Victor asks
His tone more serious
"…"
"There's been a change Vic…."
Jeremy says lighting a cigar.
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Alright."
Victor responds starkly as the pair walk in silence before arriving at the giant oak.
"This morning…"
"At around 06 hundred hours…"
Jerry begins before he is cut off by Victor...
"This place is quite beautiful."
Victor says staring down to the oasis just as the morning sun kisses the gold wrapped houses and emerald water.
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Don't you think so too Jeremy?"
He says turning to face Jeremy with a smile on his face.
"…"
(smokes)
"Yeah…"
Jerry responds gazing out towards the oasis as well.
"It's a pity we had to drag it all into our problems…"
Victor says bluntly.
"Right go on."
His say, tone more serious than before.
"Sir."
Jeremy says
"Yesterday at 16 hundred hours we received a report from the Guard outpost in the outer-lands that borders us with the 'city of willows'."
Jeremy begins.
"Yes I am aware."
Victor responds still staring into the Oasis.
"The report indicated that the 'Sense of Sight' Yasser Freid was on his way towards the Oasis."
"Not too far away judging by the tone of the 'Guardsmen'"
"However, he's still not expected here for at least a week at best."
Victor says…
"…"
(smokes)
"Well that was the case initially..."
Jeremy says before coming to a pause.
"Out with it Jeremy we don't have all day…"
Victor adds bluntly
"Sir."
Jeremy responds
"As of this morning at around 06 hundred hour's agents at the 'watchtower' have since reported seeing smoke coming from the direction of Branch A."
"…."
-silence-
"…"
"But that's not…."
Victor turns confused to Jeremy
"We believe the smoke came to be from our outpost itself"
Jerry pauses again to light another cigar his voice cautious and stiff.
"Haaa…Yasser's party seems to have moved faster than we expected."
Victor cuts in sighing to himself.
"Well if that's all then we'll just have to…"
Victor starts before this time being the one cut off by Jerry.
"Am not done."
"Huh?"
Jeremy says to a shocked response from Victor
(smokes) "And as of 07 hundred hours this morning…"
He says prompting Victor check his watch to see its 9:30
"As of today 07 hundred hours…"
"A boy…
"15…"
"Named Ethan Sully."
"Was outside the vicinity walls on his way to our branch to deliver food and a fresh change of clothes for his father…"
"His father you see."
"Is one of our guardsmen."
"Poor fellow had the night shift…"
Jeremy says pausing to light another cigar burning past them.
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Where are you going with this"
"The trip wasn't meant to be a long one…"
Jeremy says cutting off Victor
"Just an exchange between father and son see…"
"…"
"Am sure you understand seeing you have your own."
"JEREMY!!!"
"Ethan Sully is dead sir."
(…..)
"If you look from the northern hill you can see his head perched up on a spike like a flag at Branch A." "You must be joking…"
Victor cuts in in disbelief.
"No am not."
Jeremy says tossing all his cigarettes to the floor and walking to Victor
"That can't be…"
Vic cuts in
The shake in his voice strong.
"Oh but it is."
"And as of right this fucking moment a messenger arrived a cute little message for ya from the enemy camp."
Jeremy says stiffly eyeing down Victor
"…"
"And..."
"I…"
"Quote."
"Your move Siyah."
Jeremy says sternly to Victor who looks out beyond the Oasis shook.
"…"
"…"
-To Be Continued-