Tɪɢʜᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ Bᴏɴᴅs || Tʜᴇ Cʜᴏsᴇɴ Eɪɢʜᴛ Bᴏᴏᴋ Tʜʀᴇᴇ

Chapter thirteen// Curing the Fallen and Helping the Broken

Tazi
"She's cured!" Lizzie shook me awake, her eyes bright with excitement. "Zay's cured!"

"Eh?" I mumbled, squinting up at her. My brain was still fuzzy with sleep.

"Come see!" Lizzie grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. "She's good as new!"

"Huh..." I nodded, covering my huge yawn with a hand. I'd barely closed my mouth before it fell open again. "Zay?!"

The small, dirty blonde girl turned and smirked. "Yes, Tazi?"

"They... you... I don't... cured?" I babbled.

"Yep." Zay rolled her eyes. "It's too early for his brain to start working, Lizzie. Let him get back to bed."

Lizzie frowned. "It's noon."

"What?!" My faze darted to the sky, where the sun was, indeed, at it's mid-day peak.

"Exactly." Zay cackled and moved away toward Sasha.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" I asked reproachfully.

Lizzie shrugged. "I only got up a little while ago myself. I'm also lazy." I glared at her and sulkily went to eat breakfast– or lunch, I guess.

"Okay, team!" Tyler clapped his hands and called us to the middle of the clearing. We gathered around him, waiting for him to begin speaking. "We'll be heading back to the shop shortly, where I'm expecting a message from Olvan. However, neither Sheyu nor Flynn will not be joining us. Both have decided to stay here, to keep an eye on the Conqueror situation in Zhong. We wish them the best of luck, now go pack your bags."

I re-rolled my bedroll and stuffed it in my rucksack. "Ugh more walking." I groaned. "Why can't we go swimming for once?"

Lucia, who was kneeling beside me, chuckled lightly. "Probably because you're the only one who likes swimming, silly."

I grinned. "Right. Forgot about that."

"I wouldn't mind a nice cool swim right about now." Lizzie piped up, "it's so hot in the sun."

"I have to agree with you on that one," Lucia giggled as she straightened and sling her pack onto one shoulder. I did the same, then reached over and pulled Lizzie to her feet.

"Come on, slow pokes!" Sasha was beckoning from the edge of the clearing, where everyone else was already gathered. We jogged over.

"Alright, the return trip should take much less time," Tyler was saying, "but even so, we are not going to waste an precious moments. We'll be travelling all day today, as well as tonight and maybe tomorrow. Let's go!" He led the way out of the clearing, Niko by his side. We fell quickly into our usual rhythm, the sound of our footsteps echoing like a steady drumbeat. I scanned the group, taking note of who was walking with who. Tyler and Niko in the lead, with Zay and Sasha close at their heels. The two were so close that they were almost touching, Zay's head coming up to around Sasha's shoulder. Just behind them walked Sabien and Navia, hand in hand as usual. After those two lovebirds came Lucia and Ryan, deep in conversation. Then, last but most certainly not least, was Lizzie and I.

"So?" Lizzie bumped me with her hip, her blonde ponytail swishing in the breeze. "What do you think of Zhong?"

"Hm..." I thought for a moment. "It's definitely different from everywhere else I've been, but I think I'd like to come back here sometime. When the war's over, you know?"

For a fraction of a second, Lizzie's smile slipped. But then it was back and left me wondering if I had perhaps imagined it. "Yeah. I've heard that it's beautiful. I'd love to see it again."