"I know it's hard but--"
"Hey Miss Ursula could you do me a favour."
Xavier says cutting her off staring at the ground and patting Mylo
"HUH?"
"Sure what is it?"
Ursula asks awkwardly
"Take in Mylo."
Xavier says softly
"Hm. Yeah sure that's…"
"What?"
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"My dog--"
"I know Xavier."
Xavier says petting Mylo just as Ursula adds
"Could you keep him with you?"
Xavier asks once more his tone soft
"Xavie--…"
"I-I mean…"
Ursula stumbles at her words as she watches the pup
"…"
"Please."
Xavier adds softly…
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"haaaa….."
Ursula exclaims spreading her hands on the counter in thought
"…"
"f-Fine…"
She says hesitantly
"…"
"Thanks"
Xavier says softly getting off the stool
"…"
"This is it boy."
He says softly petting Mylo's head
"I'll miss you…"
He thinks watching the dog with sombre eyes
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Wait wait wait Xavier."
Ursula adds frantically
"…"
"Yes?"
Xavier asks calmly turning to face
"Huh?"
"Ah--well---…"
Ursula stumbles over her words caught off-guard by Xavier composure
"w-What about you?"
She asks awkwardly
"I'm going to be traveling."
Xavier responds softly
"w-What do you--"
Ursula asks
"I have family in the north."
Xavier adds before Ursula can finish
"I think it's about time i met them."
He says softly
"Introduced myself to my uncle and aunt."
He says
"My grandfather…"
He thinks
"B-but…"
"…"
"you're just a kid."
Ursula says her tone full of longing
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"I'll be 14 soon."
Xavier responds scuffing up Mylo's hair
"Almost an adult."
"STILL!"
Ursula shouts at Xavier's declaration
"Ah--sorry I just…"
Ursula says holding her mouth embarrassed as the areas eyes are drawn to them.
"I mean… it's just."
She says sadly facing down
"…"
"I'll be fine."
Xavier says softly noticing what conflicts her
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"You have no idea how scary it is out there."
Ursula says stressfully, remembering her own journey here
In as much as the Oasis people are now thriving in Pandora it wasn't always that black and white.
In fact the number now currently in Pandora is less than half of what set out.
Why?
Same reason Xavier highlighted.
Refugees are easy pickings…
Add to that the fact that most hailed from off-continent then you can imagine Gomorrah's delight to pick them off one at a time.
Especially considering these were people fresh off bombardment. (._.)
Ursula's group to Pandora lost more in particular
From how the weather and conditions of the Outer-lands ravaged them one by one
To the paranoia that plagued their camp with suicide and murders'
She saw way more than anyone should have to
And then she lost her daughters too…
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Actually I do…"
Xavier says softly watching her demeanour
"ah--"
"I'll be going now."
Xavier says rubbing Mylo's head one last time and starting forward
"…"
"wait…"
Ursula mumbles
"WAIT!!!!"
She shouts making Xavier stop
"W-what could be so important that you'd risk your life to go out there."
She asks
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Family."
Xavier says softly before continuing forward
"…"
-silence-
"…"
("TAT!")
("TAT")
("TAT")
"rouuu…"
Mylo sneaks up on Xavier nudging his legs
"Mylo…"
Xavier says squatting to hold the dog
"I can't go with you."
He says softly
"rouuu…"
"I know…"
Xavier says rubbing him
"But Ursula is right."
He says softly
"It's too dangerous out there."
He says grimacing at the past
"I can't… lose you too…"
He says sombrely
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Don't worry I'll be back before you know it."
Xavier says scuffing up Mylo's hair
"Now go back to Ursula she'll take care of you."
He says standing back up and pointing to Ursula
"rouuu…"
"…"
"Goodbye boy…"
Xavier says sadly before starting off
"ah…"
"…"
Ursula wants to say something but recedes as she watches Xavier walk away.
And so Xavier started out.
Off and out of Pandora.
And to the North
In search of what he had come believed was the only thing he had left in this drab world
Family.
But as he walked out the gate and felt the wind change.
Xavier felt this was the beginning of a journey he might not return from.
So walking out he steeled his resolve too
To survive no matter, the cost.
-CAMPSITE-
Xavier starts to pack up the stuff he might need
From the utensils to the little daggers and weapons
"Map…"
Xavier thinks looking to the tent.
Jeremy always kept multiple maps from all over continent…
Xavier walks into the tent
And checking Jeremy's bag finds all his maps and sticks them into his own bag…
"…"
Xavier looks to his side.
And to the body of Jeremy that he had wrapped in a white sheet.
"…"
-silence-
"…"
-TWO MONTHS LATER-
The wind blows fiercely as the ground is scorched by the sun!!!
"MOVE IT!!"
"MOVE IT!!!!!"
A man shouts at the fore of the gate to a Domed City!
"I SAID MOVE IT!!!!"
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
He shouts punching the refugee at the front!!
"EEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
People in the queue cheer as the man at the fore of the queue is beaten down by the admissions officer!!!
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!BAM!!!!!!!!!
"…"
Xavier pulls down the part of his headdress covering his nose and mouth looking at the top of the gate.
It reads.
'Willow City'
In rusty old metal.
However, that part is cancelled out with black spray paint
And just beneath it a sentence reads.
'The Dead City Beneath The World'
Painted in black and gold.
And just above Willow City is another word.
This one much shorter and written with letters from different glowing words.
The words?
Simple.
This one simply reads…
… "The Beneath" ….
"…"
"…"
-To Be Continued-