Providence -The Fine Lines of Reality

2. Calm Before The Storm

    Under the whispering canopy of the towering oak, Moria stirred from her slumber, the remnants of her dreams clinging to her consciousness like cobwebs in the morning light. Xotah's gentle voice broke through her hazy veil of sleep, his words weaving seamlessly into the fabric of her waking world.

    "Caught daydreaming again? Typical Moria," he joked, his tone a mixture of concern and amusement. With a wry smile, he reminded her of their habitual morning ritual, teasing her about dozing off as they awaited the sun's golden ascent.

    As they prepared to embark on their journey to school, Moria couldn't shake the lingering echoes of her nocturnal reveries, each one a puzzle waiting to be solved. "First of all, who are you calling Moria?" She gargled, rolling from her side onto her back and tucking her hands under her sienna curls. "I told you to call me..." Xotah adjourned her prattle, "As close as we are, I refuse to call you, 'King.' You're not even a man," he retorted with whimsy. She scoffed, rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath that she was more of a man than he'd ever be.

    Xotah chuckled, his laughter carrying a hint of amusement despite Moria's teasing. "What did you dream about this time?" he asked, his cyan eyes sparkling with curiosity and illuminating his beige skin. Moria relaxed her gaze, her mind drifting back to the vivid memory. "The same thing, that god, Hades. Except for this time, I think he died," she replied softly.

    The smooth breeze flooded the silence, but instead of his usual banter, Xotah remained silent, his gaze now a glare, fixed in the distance. Tensing his jaw as he tightly gripped his knees that were rested against his chest. Moria furrowed her brow in concern, wondering what troubled him. "Hey, Psycho. Why do you look like that?" she asked, but he brushed off her concern, rising to his feet. "It's nothing. Let's go," he snarked, walking away. Moria followed, perplexed by his sudden change in demeanor.

    As Xotah descended from the mountain, Moria wandered toward the edge of the summit. The bustling city below brimmed with unnerving excitement. She gazed over the jarring cityscape below, the cacophony of humans and machines further disconnected Moria from the world beneath her. She longed to be free from the constraints of humanity, to soar with the birds above. Thoughts of this freedom invited goosebumps to engulf her. "Moria, let's go!" called Xotah's voice from the distance, snapping her out of her reverie. "Until tomorrow," she murmured to herself, savoring the view one last time she called out that her name was King before reluctantly following after him.

    The allure of the endless woods beckoned to them as they were consumed by nature's domain, the trunks of trees stretching far beyond imagination. The aroma of sap, pine, moss, and freshwater filled the air, a stark contrast to the metallic tang of the city below. Moria, feeling at home, matched her steps to the rhythm of the forest and the rays of the sun gleaming through the trees. However, Xotah's eerie silence and the unrhythmic trek were unsettling. "Hey, Psycho, you haven't said much since we started walking. What's on your mind?" She asked playfully, still, he trekked forward silently, allowing the snapping twigs and crushed grass to speak for him. "Why do you even want to go to school?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood. "You're not even that good of a student!" She snarked, "I never knew second in class translated to 'not even that good of a student.'" He muddled sharply, his tone betraying a hint of irritation.

    Moria grinned deviously, her eyes glinting with mischief as she sensed she had hit a sore spot. "Hard to tell, if it's not first, what are you even attending for?" she teased, but Xotah's response was unexpected. "You're a daydreaming orphan, if you weren't first in class, I'd be embarrassed to know you," he said, his voice softening. Moria threw her arm around his neck, "See, there's my little parentless Psycho." She replied with glee, they laughed as they continued on their journey, the tension between them had dissipated like the breeze.