"aaaaahhhhhh!!!"
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The sound of people's screams fills the Oasis….
More explosions go off as buildings….
Homes.
Fall in tandem…
The Oasis is in chaos.
Xavier tries to force himself off the ground….
Seems he was blown quite a distance.
His body aches all over…
His already blurred vision much worse than before.
A cold stream of blood drips slow from his ear….
His body has never felt this heavy before.
Opening his swollen eyes slow…
He is met with a disturbing image of what look like people.
Or what's left of them…
Hang.
Buried.
Maimed.
All over the town.
And as most seem as lifeless as ever.
Others are alive.
Screaming
Shouting
Losing their sanity over the state they find their bodies in.
Their last moments on the planet being their shrieks of horror at the inhumane state of their own bodies…
An image enough to drive the able bodied insane.
But while some dread their entire existences others seem relatively unhurt…
As relative as can be in the situation I suppose.
But unhurt either way and trudging forward.
Forcing their beyond battered and bruised bodies beyond breaking point to move.
To save their loved ones from their current predicaments.
Or at the very least themselves…
("!!!!!!!!!!!!!AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!")
The sound of the chaos reigns supreme.
It is never ending.
Albeit feint…
Muffled by the inability of his useless body to work.
That latest explosion must have done a number on him huh?
"mo..oo..ommmm.."
He tries to call out but his voice barely escapes his mouth.
Its hoarseness akin to grazing a razor along a sore throat….
Understandably It hurts when he speaks.
Regardless…
As his wits return to him…
He remembers he wasn't the only one blown away in that explosion.
His mom was too….
And seeing how he is by himself right now…
"where is she?"
The thought plagues his mind as he begins to shake all over.
In as much from the pain as the emotional distress he is thrown into.
"Is she still alive?"
He worries as his ears begin to ring once more…
"Please be alright…"
("...")
"Please don't leave me all alone…"
("...")
"….Mylo...."
He thinks in panic…
His last thought a dog
His dog…
His best friend.
As the memory of the pup fills his mind…
Seeing that deep white fur right before the explosion…
Tears begin to flow from his eyes…
And even though he would like to think only of his family and friend's right now
Of Mylo.
He can't.
He can't because it hurts to cry too.
Xavier wipes the tears off his face.
And upon realizing the tears flowing from his right eye are now a deep red.
He grits his teeth and begins to trudge along in an effort to find his family…
Dragging his useless body in the burning sand and watching as more and more people wailing in pain
Come into view
"They've lost a lot…"
The thought dances across his mind…
"We've lost a lot…"
"…"
-silence-
"…"
Watching on.
The horrors seem to only grow…
Everyone state is….
"The pain they must all be going through…"
He wonders…
As the people around him mourn their Brothers and Sisters.
Uncles and Aunts, Mothers and Fathers…
Xavier can see people mourn other things as well.
Whole riches and establishments…
Pets and prized possessions…
Severed hands and crushed feet…
They've lost a lot.
("what is this unholy sight??")
("why must they all suffer so?")
("how much more are they all going to suffer…?")
("until when will this continue…?")
But perhaps the question that fills his mind most right now is…
("why is no one doing anything about this?")
Indeed.
Why do they allow themselves to suffer?
Why do they not take up arms and fight back against their masked aggressors?
Despite everything that's happened to them.
Despite everything that's happened to him!
He just can't comprehend it...
And that angers him.
("is this all we amount to?")
("....")
..... ("is this my grandfather's doing?") .....
The thought pierces his mind.
And Xavier shivers in anger and disdain as he continues to trudge.
The ringing in his ear seems to only get louder.
And the once beautiful gold grains of sand that decorate the Oasis now mesh ugly with his exposed wounds.
By all means he should take a break.
But he can't…
No he mustn't.
Because if he doesn't find them he'll be in more pain than a few bruises.
He pauses to examine his body before continue.
And as he watches his hands shake in pain….
Their display causes him even more agony.
The skin on his left arm has been peeled off.
And is now pelted with blood soaked grains of sand all over.
It hurts more just looking at it…
In the same way his fingers hurt.
The blood filled in his nails trickles ever so slowly down his fingers.
The colour of his nails now a deep purple.
He moves to touch his head where a stream of blood flows and immediately winces in pain.
There is no skin there to touch…
"What is this…?"
He thinks to himself squinting as he wipes away more blood tears off his face.
The pain is more intense when he is aware of it.
And at this point it's a miracle he can keep his eyes open…
What with the scorching sun…
And heat from homes on fire forcing his eyes shut every gust of wind.
"I hope you're all okay…"
He mumbles to himself before deciding to power through once more.
Now near the centre of the Oasis.
The 'Jewel in the Gold tablet' becomes visible.
A fountain that connects all the water ways in the Oasis.
This is the circular water body visible from atop their hill.
The emerald green that is their vitality…
…. 'The Beyaz Fountain' ….
As upon its luscious inviting green he thirsts.
And decides a little bit of water would help his journey…
He wouldn't want to collapse before finding anyone, now would he?
"Yeah that's right…everything will be fine."
Pressed up against a wall for support he mumbles to himself making for the direction of the fountain…
"Just a little more…"
"Just a little further…"
He mumbles…
As he draws nearer to the centre.
He is halted by the most grotesque sight yet.
People…
And not just one or two but dozens.
All piled up one atop the other in a wagon just ahead the fountain.
"Are they all dead?"
He mutters to himself hoarsely, nauseous.
Disgusted by the sight and dehydrated right now…
His brain can't process all the information in front of him right now.
And as such,
He shifts his focus back to his own survival.
And the fountain…
Beginning to force himself forward once more while disregarding the possible impending danger of who?
Or what?
Could have done that to all these people
"c'mon Aisha just a little further."
"…"
-silence-
"…"
A scratchy, hoarse, feminine voice cuts in prompting Xavier pause his movement.
An elderly figure clad in all black comes to view.
A robe covered in blood and dirt covers her head.
"But I can't anymoreee…"
"…"
-silence-
"…"
Another feminine voice is heard
By the sounds of it much…
Much younger.
"Nana… am thirsty…"
The child moans and complains.
"And my feet hurt!!!"
She says
"Where's mommy?!?
She cries
"Where's daddy!?!"
She moans
The source of a crying voice is a little red haired girl.
Crying and sitting on the ground in protest of any further movement.
Like the old lady she is equally as bloody and dirty…
But in contrast to her the blood doesn't seem to be her own.
Judging by her stature she should be at least 5-6 years old….
She's a familiar face
Daughter of Smart Mark's rival store just across the fountain from here.
Her father and Mark would always duke it out day in and day out for customers in a show of machismo to prove of who the better inventor was.
Well not anymore…
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Poor kid."
Xavier ponders
"just…"
"just a little further aisha the fountain is right there see…"
The old lady says in an attempt to soothe the child's tantrum
However, the child continues to wail on…
Not paying much attention to the lady.
Who now frustrated just plucks her off the ground.
She not being bratty in all honesty.
She's just never been in this much pain before.
No one has.
"alright…"
"alright…"
"come here…"
The old lady says putting the little girl on her back and continuing forward to the fountain.
(coughs) "nana just needs to have some water for her throat at the fountain okay…"
She forces the words out her mouth choking and coughing a little before spitting blood to the side.
A remaining stream trickles down the side of her lip.
"Why must this happen to us…?"
Xavier thinks
"Does grandfather really hate my family so much he'd go to these lengths?"
His thoughts drift.
Targeted solely on his faceless grandfather.
Continuing forward.
Xavier reaches the end of the wall and a corner.
And drags himself in to the centre of the Beyaz fountain area.
Circular in shape with shops surrounding the fountain separated by the water ways.
He takes a sit beside a trash bin on the ground when he recognizes the store he sits at.
"This shop…"
He remembers looking around to its scattered merchandise…
It's a tool shop.
One he and his father used to come to when they were just starting out on the sunflower field.
"Heh…"
He chuckles lightly remembering all the trouble they went through haggling with the shop owner.
He misses his home now.
Even the little watering bucket at his corner reminds him of home.
And as vivid images of just how beautiful his home come rushing to the fore of his mind
A more daunting thought reaches him as well.
The realization that as of this moment
It's now images of how beautiful his home 'used to be'
His heart aches.
"I should keep going…"
He thinks
"Smart Marks is just across the fountain."
"Maybe mom went over there after we were separated."
He thinks remembering that's where he mother wanted to go.
"That should be the goal for now."
He thinks remembering Lucy, Rusty and Uncle Mark.
"see…"
"see what I said aisha…"
"we're here…"
The old lady exclaims falling to her knees by the fountain.
"Water…"
She sighs out as her body relaxes and shakes all over.
"here… here… drink…."
The old lady says taking the child off her back
"it won't do much for your wounds but it'll feel better on your throat at least."
She says wiping the little girl's tears away and cupping some water from the fountain with shaky hands
Aisha begins to drink a little
Sniffling as she does so.
Xavier smiles to himself lightly as he thinks of the old lady.
Despite what's happened she prioritizes the little girl over herself.
It can be a beautiful thing
This being human thing.
"Eeeeehh…."
(?!?!WHO WAS THAT?!?!)
Xavier panics
"We found some leftovers here…"
A loud husky voice is heard once more
Xavier, startled.
Hurries to him himself behind the bin!!
The woman grabs the child by the hand and pulls her behind her shielding her.
"Yeah?"
"Male or female?"
Another voice responds!!!
This one much cockier than the last
But calmer??
"Female…"
"One, ugly…"
"Wrinkly old lady and a child."
The huskier tone responds cheekily in disgusting amusement as the old lady holds the child even tighter behind her
"Hmmmmm…."
"How old is the kid."
"6 give or take."
"Could probably be 'pawned' off as 9."
The pair of voices share an exchange!
Suddenly….
Three men start to come into view from the left.
All dressed in deep charcoal grey coats with black buttons and white shirts…
As Xavier continues to look on in fear and intrigue.
The first two look are close enough to distinguish now.
One scrawny…
Laid back and missing a little hair on his balding blonde hair
And the other a huge!
With wavy blonde hair and a muscular build.
The bigger of the two is armed with a huge sword on his back.
While the other double revolvers on strapped on either side.
"Hmmm?"
"Waste them."
A third voice comes through!!
"Am not interested in running a day care."
This time much calmer voice and normal.
The third man comes fully into view to reveal a short blonde haired man in the same uniform
He wears black shades similar to Mark's.
No frame just perfectly rounded on the eyes as if his eyes were black entirely.
The only seemingly difference with him being his uniform containing an odd golden pattern on the wrists and shoulders of his coat.
A fancy looking 'F' with a little dash beside it.
Armed with big double axes strapped to his back the blonde man begins to say...
"We don't have time for niceties the boss said no prisoners."
"Yes sir!!"
He commands, as his two subordinates respond in a lazy unison.
"Wa-wait…"
The old lady tries to say
"y-you…"
"who are--"
"BANG!!!!!!!!"
A gun goes off as the sound echoes the area!!!!!
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"I-is this it???"
A pale Xavier thinks as the air is suddenly heavier!!!
"Phew…"
"Didn't even let her finish huh?"
The bigger guy says mocking his partner
"A-are they the people responsible of all this?!?!?"
Xavier thinks.
"AAAAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!"
The bigger man laughs
"Shut up."
The scrawnier man says lazily as Xavier remains frozen in place
"Boss said no prisoners"
The scrawnier man says
"C'mon grab the kid and let's get outta here already."
He says turning back to the way
"Whatever..."
"you…"
"say…"
The big man responds laughing approaching the child!!!!
"Just what is going on here?!?!"
Xavier thinks
"C'mon kid!"
"…."
"…."
-To Be Continued-