They finally left the village.
Nox was extremely glad to be out of there. He still did not understand why Mela had to come along, but whatever. It was a problem for later. They were back on their journey north, heading toward Serian's sanctuary.
The walking arrangement was, to put it mildly, awkward. Nox was in the lead, setting a fast, aggressive pace. He was pointedly ignoring everyone. Mela was trying to walk beside Serian, playing the part of the dutiful royal escort, but since Nox was setting the path, she was really just following him, a fact that clearly annoyed her.
And Serian was stuck between the two of them, a princess trying to mediate a silent war between her bodyguard and her other, much more volatile, bodyguard.
Just when Nox thought he could finally have some peace and quiet, the universe decided to get involved. The god chat, which had been silent for a while, popped into his vision with all the subtlety of a thrown brick.
