-LATER-
"…"
"…"
Xavier and Jeremy continue to trek through the outer-lands
Seemingly aimless if you ask Xavier…
But I don't see why you would, the kid has no directional senses at all!!
Either way they walk…
Led by Jeremy ofcourse. (._.)
"Are you really okay?"
Xavier asks breaking the silence and staring out to Jeremy's wound
"Hmm…"
"Ofcourse."
Jeremy responds brightly forcing a smile for Xavier
"ri-right…."
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Are you--"
"Xavi am fine okay."
Jeremy cuts him off, patting his head
"Ah!"
Xavier winces at having his head patted
"Oh… sorry about that…haha."
Jeremy say's, a cautious but warm smile painted on
"I-Its fine."
Xavier says
"I…"
"I just have a thing…"
"About people touching my head."
Xavier responds trying to reassure Jeremy
"…"
"It's worse now though…"
He mumbles to himself sombrely remembering his time in the cell
"…."
-silence-
"…."
"So…"
Xavier begins hoping to alleviate some of the awkwardness
"How did you--"
(sighs) "I wasn't in the city the time it happened."
Jeremy says blankly cutting him off like he read his mind
"I… I see"
Xavier says sombrely staring at the ground as he walks
"…"
"Did anyone else…."
He asks optimistic
"I don't know."
"…"
But the response is cold
"…"
-Silence-
"…"
"If they did am sure they're fine so you don't have to worry."
Jeremy says slightly warmer when he realizes he soured an already awkward mood
"…right…"
Xavier's response is low
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Genius of The Six?"
Xavier asks his tone filled with eagerness and curiosity
"…"
Jeremy stays silent, looking a little sombre before halting
"…"
"Should I not have asked?"
Xavier thinks stopping in his tracks as well as he watches the demeanour of Jeremy change
"We're here."
Jeremy says plastic smile on, his brows arced sombrely
"Oh."
Xavier responds looking ahead to see a small campsite with a medium sized tent and a fire that looks like it had been lit recently.
Alongside it are a couple of utensils and weapons scattered all around it.
But most notably about this camp grounds for Xavier is how it all seems awfully fit for only one person
Which probes the question…
Who else is here?
Didn't Jeremy say someone wanted to see him…
-JUST THEN-
"AAARRRFFFFF!!!!!!!"
In an Instant.
Xavier's mind recognises the otherwise unremarkable bark!!!
And almost in slow motion…
As he turns his head to face the direction of the bark.
Xavier Is thrown off his feet!!!!
"ARRRFFFFF!!!!!""
"ARRRRRFFFFFF!!!!!"
The barks continue as Xavier is licked all over
"my-MYLO!!!!!!!"
Xavier shouts trying to tame the licks and hugging the not so pup anymore
"OOOOOhhhh MYLO!!!!"
He shouts as the tears begin to flow!!!
"…"
"Hmph."
Jeremy smiles warmly lighting a cigar as he watches them
"MYLO!!!!!!!!!!"
An overwhelmed Xavier sobs, holding his pup tighter and tighter
"IS THIS REAL??"
"IS THIS REAL?!?!!?"
"I was so sure he was--"
"OOOOH… it doesn't matter!!"
"As long as I can hold you again."
''Mylo…"
Xavier thinks, gripping the pup tighter and tighter as the tears flow in earnest
"…."
-THAT NIGHT-
"…."
The fire crackles as the campsite is lit not only by a fire made by Jeremy but the stars that decorate the night sky.
Xavier pets his pup with his right hand as he watches Jeremy roast some gecko
Sure does bring back some memories…
Not the most pleasant ones though he dreads to admit.
Anyway he shouldn't be thinking about that right now…
He's free and Mylo and Jeremy are with him too.
A life he had thought was gone forever now seems possible again
A semblance of what he would deem normal
Things are finally looking up for him…
However…
(sighs) "where to begin…"
Xavier thinks silently watching the night stars…
Despite all that happened today his saviour hasn't exactly been…
'Chatty'
And more than anything right now Xavier really wanted to convey his gratitude as best he can.
But seeing as they were never that close to begin with…
It made everything all that much more difficult…
Still though that shouldn't matter…
For what had been done for him there was no greater favour.
So it mattered not what their relationship had been like in the past he owed this man his life
And for that he'd show his gratitude somehow.
But before that…
"…"
"Uncle Jerry…"
Xavier says softly petting Mylo
"Yes Xavi."
Jeremy responds.
"I…I just wanted to say thank you."
Xavier says awkwardly stumbling over the words
"…"
-Silence-
"…"
"F-for everything that is…"
Xavier adds
"Not only did you go out of your way to save me…"
"But you also reunited me with Mylo."
He says bowing his head in respect
"So truly."
"From the deepest reaches of my heart."
He says
"Thank you."
Xavier says much more comfortably
"…"
"I…"
"I would have said it earlier but--"
"Its fine…"
Jeremy responds with a warm but oddly emotionless smile on his face as Xavier sits up
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"We've been through a lot today…."
Jeremy says breaking the silence.
"You should get some rest we have a big day tomorrow."
He says blankly
"Are we going to be moving?"
Xavier asks, scratching the pup's ears
"Yes."
Jeremy responds
"Starting tomorrow we'll be headed south."
"Passed the Oasis."
He says
"Passed the oasis…"
Xavier thinks sombrely
"There's a city just passed there called Pandora."
Jeremy continues
"Oh…"
Xavier flinches at the name.
"Should take a couple of months at best if we hurry."
Jeremy says
"…"
"That's the place father told me about."
Xavier says softly staring at his pup with sombre eyes
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"hm…"
Jeremy exclaims
"I'd imagine he would."
He says
"Would that mean that he was with Victor in his last moments?"
He thinks curiously
"…"
"Are you okay?"
Jeremy asks, tracing his eyes back toward Xavier in search of changes in demeanour
"…yeah…"
"I'm fine."
Xavier says with a forced smile
"…"
"Good."
Jeremy responds with a smile of his own
"But why Pandora?"
Xavier asks…
"Well…"
"If anyone else survived, there's a pretty high chance that's where they'll be."
Jeremy says
"My guess is your father knew that too that's why he told you about it."
He says
"Oh…"
Xavier exclaims, his eyes brightening a little
"…"
"The simple reason why would be security."
Jeremy continues, predicting Xavier's next question
"Pandora is a neutral land like the Oasis."
He begins
"But unlike the Oasis it's much bigger and more organized."
He says
"So no one with half a brain will attack it on a whim without encountering losses themselves."
He says.
"I see…"
Xavier responds
"…"
"Hey Uncle Jerry…"
Xavier calls
"Yes Xavier?"
Jeremy responds
"Do you know who attacked the Oasis.""
Xavier asks, watching the expression on Jeremy's face for hints
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"No…"
Jeremy says blankly
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Whoever it was is not important to us."
Jeremy adds
"It's already happened all we can do is move forward now."
He says getting up.
"We should focus on getting to Pandora right now."
"Regrouping with any survivors that might be there."
He says
"And maybe after that we can--"
"I do…"
Xavier says quietly cutting off Jeremy
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"What??"
Jeremy asks…
"I said I know."
Xavier says…
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"I see…"
Jeremy says…
"…"
"Well either way it doesn't matter…"
He says
"It's probably for the best if you forget it too."
He says
"Won't help you much."
He says beginning to walk to the tent again
"…"
"too…"
Xavier mumbles under his breath
"huh??"
Jeremy exclaims in question
"You said too…""
Xavier says sombrely watching the fire burn
"Like you know who did it 'too'…"
Xavier says softly
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Did i?"
Jeremy asks blankly
"Am probably just tired from today."
He says
"I'll head to bed first."
Jeremy says
"Don't stay up too late."
He says opening the tent flaps
"…."
(sighs)
-The Next Day-
Early morning but the harsh weather of the outer lands takes no prisoners as the sun scorches the earth.
"Arrghhh…"
Jeremy exclaims in pain, awakening from an unpleasant sleep…
Stretching out…
He reaches for the wound that Keith gave him.
"…"
… "It's colour" …
The colour that surrounds the wound is odd…
Unlike usual wounds this one is a mix of purple and pink
And what's weirder is that even the veins around it seem to be adopting the odd colour scheme
But rather than be worried or horrified Jeremy is oddly calm…
His demeanour not one of worry and uncertainty….
But aware and resolute.
One could only wonder what brings this on…
He turns to face were Xavier slept and notices the boy is already up.
"…"
"Xavi."
Jeremy calls coming out from the tent
"…"
"Good morning Uncle Jerry."
Xavier says coming from behind the tent with Mylo
"…"
"You're up early."
Jeremy says
"Couldn't sleep."
Xavier responds
"I see…"
"…."
-silence-
"…."
"I warmed up the left over gecko meat from yesterday…"
Xavier says plainly
"…"
"Good job we can eat it on the way…"
Jeremy says
"…"
"C'mon let's pack up."
-A Couple Hours Later-
"…"
-silence-
"…"
Awkward silence continues to plague the pair as they traverse the lands south
One might opt to wonder why there are no celebrations for the pair that had lost everything and found each other
But the answer lies in the sentence itself
They had lost everything
"…"
"Uncle Jer--"
"Xavi."
Xavier begins to speak before he is cut off by Jeremy who halts in front of him
"…"
"y-yes??"
Xavier responds unsure
"…"
"If we're going to be travelling together you're going to need to be capable of taking care of yourself."
Jeremy says blankly
"…"
"… Am sure I don't have to tell you this but the outer-lands are a dangerous place …"
He says
"…"
"yeah…"
Xavier responds sombrely reminiscent of just the day before yesterday
"hmmm…"
Jeremy watches him
"…"
-silence-
"…"
(lights cigar)
"So how about it."
Jeremy asks
"…"
"H-How about what?"
Xavier asks confused
"…"
(smokes)
"You learn to use (souls)."
Jeremy says blankly facing Xavier…
"…"
"What?"
Xavier responds subconsciously…
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"WHAAAAAATTTTT?!?!?"
Xavier shouts as what Jeremy just said dawns on him!!!! (._.)
"Hmph."
(smokes)
Jeremy smirks at his expression
"Or better yet."
He says tossing the cigar butt!
"'I teach you' to use (souls)."
He says kneeling and holding Xavier by the shoulder!!!!
"…"
"Ah…"
-To Be Continued-
-The Beneath Arc Begins-