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Paige's POV
The road stretched endlessly ahead, the dirt shimmering beneath the afternoon sun like molten gold. My boots were coated in dust, my hair clinging to my forehead, and my poor feet—well, I was pretty sure they were ready to file a formal complaint against me.
We'd been walking for what felt like hours. My shoulders ached, my throat was dry, and the thought of another step made me want to roll into the nearest ditch and nap forever.
I glanced around at the others. Darcelle didn't even look winded—of course she didn't, she was built like someone who eats pain for breakfast. Nathan, walking ahead of us, looked like he was taking a peaceful stroll through a meadow instead of trudging through hell on earth. Xavier, bless him, was lagging beside me, dragging his feet dramatically like a child denied sweets.
And then there was Elisha. Limping slightly, still a bit pale from his injuries, yet too stubborn to admit he needed rest. He was behind us, a few paces away, head bowed and breathing slower than usual. My chest tightened a little.
"Hey, Nathan," I called, trying to sound casual—not like my legs were seconds away from snapping. "Isn't it about time we, I don't know, rested?"
Nathan didn't even look back. "It's not up to four hours yet. Keep walking."
I gasped quietly. Not up to four hours yet? Was this guy even human? What kind of person measured life in walking intervals?
I muttered under my breath, "I swear, if I survive this journey, it'll be a miracle. He acts like we're made of steel."
Xavier groaned beside me. "Come on, Nathan! The sun's scorching! If we don't stop, we're gonna collapse before four hours!"
Nathan didn't slow down. "One hour to go. Then we rest. If not, we won't reach Thyrelith in three days."
Xavier threw his hands up dramatically. "One hour until death takes me, then! Oh come on, what happened to the big brother figure?"
Nathan stopped and turned his head just slightly, his voice calm—too calm. "If you utter one more piece of nonsense, death will take you in three seconds. And don't ever call me your big brother, you overgrown baby."
The silence that followed was so sharp you could cut it with a spoon. I snorted, quickly pretending it was a cough. Xavier's face was a mix of wounded pride and mild terror.
I sighed, dragging my feet. Mostly, I was worried about the limping idiot behind us.
Then Elisha finally called out, voice laced with dry humor. "Hey, Nathaniel! I know you've got wheels for legs, but we normal humans need rest, okay? The sun's boiling, and everyone's about to melt. We're taking a break whether you like it or not."
Nathan turned, irritation flickering in his eyes. "You've been the one strolling behind."
Darcelle spoke up before I could. "Nathan, he's injured, in case you've forgotten."
Elisha raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for reminding the genius before he kills us all."
Nathan's jaw tightened. "Who are you calling an idiot?"
"Take a wild guess," Elisha muttered.
Before the air could spark into another argument, Xavier jumped between them, hands raised. "Okay, okay! We're all tired, even you, Nathan. Let's rest for thirty minutes and then walk until nightfall, deal?"
Elisha squinted at him. "What do you mean walk until nightfall? It's barely noon, you dimwit."
Xavier blinked, confused. "Huh?"
Elisha groaned. "You know what? Never mind. Let's just sit down before my legs file for divorce."
Darcelle sighed. "I second that."
And just like that, the great Nathaniel the Relentless relented. We found a wide umbrella tree by the roadside, its shade spreading like a blessing from the heavens.
---
The air was cooler here, the soft rustle of leaves whispering above us. We sat in the grass, passing around a jug of water. I could've kissed that jug.
Darcelle sat apart, map in hand, her focus sharp as ever. I shuffled closer, curiosity getting the better of me.
"What're you doing?" I asked.
"Checking our route," she said, not looking up.
"Put that thing down," I said, flopping beside her. "I'll keep you company."
Her brow arched. "Are you crazy?"
"Maybe. But if that's what it takes to get you to talk to me, then yeah, I'm completely crazy. Crazy about you, even."
Her head snapped toward me, expression caught between disbelief and amusement.
I laughed awkwardly. "Too soon?"
She actually chuckled—small, quiet, but it was there. "You're unbelievable."
"I try," I said with a grin.
She shook her head, smirking. "You know, you talk too much."
"I know," I said. "But that's how you'll learn to like me."
She rolled her eyes but didn't move away. Progress.
I stole a glance at the others—Xavier was already asleep, sprawled like a cat in the grass, while Nathan and Elisha were of course arguing again.
Darcelle sighed. "I don't get those two. Why are they always fighting?"
I shrugged. "One's an arrogant, stubborn bastard. The other's a sarcastic pessimist. It's like throwing fire and oil together."
She smirked faintly. "Maybe that's good for them. My mother used to say that the person you argue with the most might end up being the one you trust the most."
I blinked. "So, if I argue with you enough, I'll earn your trust?"
She tilted her head. "Have you ever had a friend, Paige?"
I hesitated, then shook my head.
"Then maybe you should start there," she said softly.
I forced a grin. "So… torment you first, friendship later?"
She sighed. "You're annoying."
"Thank you," I said proudly.
---
We started walking again about forty minutes later. The sun had shifted lower, but the air was still hot and dry. Xavier trudged beside Elisha, both looking half-dead.
"Hey, Xavier!" I yelled. "Watch where you're stepping before you injure yourself more!"
"Sorry!" he called back. "Not my fault Paige woke me up too early!"
Elisha shot him a glare. "Then go back to sleep and bang your head on a wall while you're at it. Maybe that'll wake you properly."
Xavier blinked innocently. "But I thought we were heading toward Thyrelith. How can we be in the middle of nowhere?"
I burst out laughing. Even Nathan turned his head slightly, disbelief written all over his face.
"You complete idiot," Nathan muttered. "Did you leave your brain under the umbrella tree when you napped?"
Elisha smirked. "Nah, he flushed it down the drain."
Xavier looked betrayed. "You guys are mean."
"Aww, poor baby," I said teasingly. "Don't cry, sunshine."
Darcelle joined in dryly. "He didn't have a brain to begin with, so what's he leaving behind?"
I stared at her. "Wow. Cold. I like it."
And honestly? I'd never met such an unfiltered bunch of lunatics in my life.
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Night fell eventually. The air cooled, the crickets started their nightly orchestra, and we found a flat clearing to camp. We laid down our bedrolls and made a small fire. Dinner was… well, my leftover meat buns.
Nathan stared at them suspiciously, like they were poison.
Elisha snorted. "Don't be picky, your highness. It's food."
"I'm not eating that," Nathan said bluntly.
Before he could refuse again, Elisha shoved one straight into his mouth. Nathan choked and glared at him. "You—!"
In the chaos, his wound reopened slightly, and Xavier had to rewrap it, muttering about how both of them had the mental age of toddlers.
"I swear you're trying to kill me," Elisha grumbled.
"Good," Nathan replied. "You forced me to eat that white lump."
I blinked. "You mean the meat bun?"
Elisha gasped dramatically. "White lump? That's rude! Paige made that herself, and you were going to toss it into the fire? You ungrateful, empty-headed—"
"Who're you calling empty-headed?" Nathan snapped.
And just like that, the nightly Elisha vs. Nathan Show began.
Xavier sighed and wrapped himself in his bedroll. "I'm too young to understand adult problems."
I raised a brow. "You're older than me."
"Exactly," he mumbled, turning away.
Darcelle stole my bedroll when I wasn't looking. "Hey!" I said.
She smirked, already lying down. "You've been tormenting me all day. My turn. Scoot off, pest."
I sighed dramatically, sitting by the fire. "You're all terrible people."
Elisha and Nathan were still arguing, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Goodnight, you chaotic weirdos. Don't kill each other before morning."
Elisha grinned, already lying down beside Xavier. "No promises."
---
By dawn, the fire had died down to embers. I woke first, stretching, watching the pale light spill across the clearing. Darcelle was up, brushing her hair; Nathan was sitting quietly, sharpening his blade.
Xavier stirred with a groan, hair sticking up like a bird's nest. Elisha, however, was still dead to the world, sleeping like someone who'd wrestled a bear and won.
I rolled my eyes. "Unbelievable."
When we were all ready, we washed our faces with the last of the water, packed up camp, and started walking again. The horizon shimmered with faint gold, and in the distance, the first shadows of the twin mountains appeared — the road to Thyrelith calling us forward.
Elisha wasn't limping as much now. He still trailed behind, humming under his breath, but he looked alive.
And as I glanced at all of them — Nathan's quiet resolve, Darcelle's calm strength, Xavier's tired grin, Elisha's stubborn smirk — I felt something warm in my chest.
Maybe this wasn't the life I imagined. But for the first time, I thought… even if I died tomorrow, I wouldn't regret being with them.
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