CHAPTER TWELVE.
sinking sun.

━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━

    When Sage was younger, she was quite the extrovert. She tended to surround herself with people and was what one might call a 'people person'. If her younger self could see her now, in the desert, running away from the civilisation she once knew, she would be disappointed.

     But that didn't matter because she was content with her choice, that was until she found herself pouring sand out of her shoe and cringing at yet another cheesy joke one of the remaining group members cracked.

     "Hey, tell me if you know this one." Harris started, his tone excited as he prepared his next shitty joke.

     "Not again, please." Murphy muttered at the same time Sage groaned in annoyance.

     "A Grounder and a Reaper walk into a bar. The bartender looks to the Grounder, he says, 'We don't serve your kind around here.' The Reaper gets up and leaves." Harris chuckled to himself.

     "You get it? Reapers eat Grounders." He explained when nobody laughed. Although they all knew it wasn't because of a misunderstanding, it simply wasn't humorous.

     "I will take Jaha's staff and beat you to death with it." Murphy threatened blatantly, turning around to face the man for only a brief moment.

     "John." Jaha warned, shutting the boy up.

     "Or this one. Uh, an Arker, a Grounder, and a Mountain Man walk into a bar. Arker says 'I'll take some moonshine.' Grounder says 'I'll take some, too.'" Sage rolled her eyes and glanced to Murphy who looked as though he would cry out of pain from listening to Harris. "The Mountain Man, he says—"

     Harris's words were cut short when a large explosion blew out beneath his feet. Sage jumped back as the man's body flew and blew into bits before her very eyes. She and Murphy stumbled back as they gazed in shock at the remains. The man, breathing and laughing only moments ago was no more and only a pile of disembodied limbs and scattered ashes. Sage cringed at the icky feeling of warm liquid coating her face, during the explosion, the man's blood had splattered onto the remaining group members, staining them physically and mentally.

     Sage breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling quickly as she lay uncomfortable against Murphy who had fallen also.

     "You okay?" He asked despite being out of breath. He glanced over her shoulder meeting her eyes as she stared shock still evident in her eyes.

     "Yeah. Are you?" She asked, turning to face him.

     "Yeah, I'm fine." He nodded.

     Sage rubbed her ear lobe harshly, in hopes of extinguishing the ringing acquired from the loud explosion. Murphy winced, feeling the back of his head which had slammed against the sand. Sage was fortunate enough to land atop of the boy, fortunately her head hit his chest and she was only injured waist down. Unfortunately the boy acquired a larger weight in his fall to the ground, wounding him further.

     Sage's eyes widened at the sight of something falling. Murphy swiftly grasped Sage's arm as they both shuffled backwards and away from the descending object. Another member of the group wasn't as fortunate and as she scurried away frantically from Harris's former arm which had blown off of his body she only prompted another explosion. Before the others could even comprehend what had happened, the woman had blown to bits and erupted yet another explosion.

    Instinctively, Murphy secured his hold on Sage, rolling them over so she was beneath his weight and thus protected from the blast. Thanking him softly, she glanced up to meet his worrisome eyes.

     The others winced at the sound of the blast, Sage's hand flew to her ears in attempt to cover them, already throbbing at the noise.

     "No one move! We're in the middle of a minefield." Jaha announced glancing around at his followers, observing their conditions.

    "Yeah no shit!" Sage yelled, her voice louder than she intended due to her lack of ability to hear in one ear.

    "At least the shitty jokes are over." Murphy chuckled, his laughter painful courtesy of his newfound wounds.

    Sage laughed also despite only barely hearing his words. She didn't like this newfound struggle in hearing. In a desert such as this she'd much prefer having perfect senses regarding her eyesight and hearing.

     "You guys are sick in the head! They're dead!" Richards scolded, another member of the group Sage didn't bother concerning herself with.

     "Let them be. These two have faced many treacheries in their young lives, this is how they cope with said trauma." Jaha interfered, surprisingly standing up for his younger companions.

     The group remained frozen, awaiting instructions from their leader. However he knew of only one solution which was to sit and wait. Being in a minefield was difficult enough however what really worried the man was the approaching sandstorm. While he did have a plan regarding the bombs buried beneath the sand there was only one thing to do while the storm raged on around them.

     "What now?" Murphy asked.

     "We wait." Jaha responded, manoeuvring himself into a comfortable position. He didn't speak, but simply crossed his legs and threw his scarf over his head, protecting him from the harsh winds coming their way.

     "This'll be fun."

↯

    Itchy feelings arose within her scalp, throughout her clothes and all across the exposed areas of Sage's skin. Her legs ached and every limb had gone numb. She couldn't stand the feeling of the winds and sands and every minute she prayed it would be over soon.

     Her wishes were granted when she heard the voices of the others around her. Her hearing hadn't improved but she was coping nonetheless. It was hardly the largest of her worries.

     "It's clearing." Someone stated, she didn't quite catch who had spoken.

     "There. We have the light and, oh look. Footprints are gone. Sand. It blows." Murphy began his voice starting out genuine but quickly switching to a sarcasm as a smirk found it's way onto his face.

     Murphy's hand reached out towards Sage, her eyes glancing at it before meeting his own. She gratefully accepted the outstretched palm, slipping her own into his as he aided her to her feet.

     The girl's eyes trailed down over her appearance causing her to cringe at the realisation of sand residing in places of her body it shouldn't be. She brushed the sand coating her hands and other exposed areas of skin which was coated in a thick layer of musty sand which had hidden her naturally dark tone. While stood on her feet, Sage stretched and cracked her body back into place, releasing a sigh of relief when the familiar clicking noise filled her ears.

     "You okay?" The boy asked softly, noticing the girl's solemn expression.

      "Yeah, I'm fine." She whispered with a nod. The boy's arm rested over her shoulders as he pulled her into his chest. She remained in his embrace for a moment before pulling away carefully. She sent him a tight smile before he spun around and analysed his surroundings.

     "Do you see that? The City of Light." Jaha declared. Sage frowned at the man, her line of vision following his finger as he pointed into the vast wasteland. Sage wasn't sure exactly what it was he was referring to but soon registered a line of bright lights peeking from behind a random sand dune.

     "Emori was telling the truth." Murphy breathed.

     Sage released a sigh as she watched the sky the others were so fascinated with. She could see why. Sure the City of Light that Jaha was focused on was visually stunning but what she was more in awe of was the sky itself. Sage assumed it was early morning, which explained the sun's positioning on the horizon line as it slowly inched it' way up. Due to the hour, the sky was painted with rouge and tangerine tones, Sage couldn't help but fall in love with.

    "We are so close." Jaha began, if Sage had to describe the look in his eyes in that moment she would say his eyes reflected a half insane, half starry expression as he awed at the light before him.

     "You wanted a sign? There it is." He declared. "We have to push forward." He continued. The group froze, only their eyes moving as they glanced between one another. Murphy glanced over to Sage who watched the lights uneasily. She was clearly exhausted but Murphy had a feeling she was determined to follow the crazed man. Sage wanted to follow him, really she did, she was beyond curious to discover more about this City of Light but there was one issue. She wasn't set on the idea of possibly blowing up like Harris did.

     "What about the mines?" Murphy asked, voicing Sage's thoughts. "Yeah, as fun as blowing up sounds, I think I'll pass." She added.

     "We were meant to be here, John. These mines. They're just another test of our faith." Jaha preached, looking behind him and at each of his followers.

     "Yeah, well, I was always crap at tests. So please, after you Chancellor." Murphy mused, a smirk playing on his lips as he waited for the man to make a move. Sage watched also, awaiting directions from the leader. Due to the ambitious expression immersing over his features she could only assume he would lead the group into the perilous minefield.

↯

     Sage was correct, yet again. And she found herself acknowledging this as she carefully placed her foot in a safe position, her heart racing a million miles an hour at the thought of a bomb exploding beneath her foot. The group were currently following Jaha as he utilised his cane to detect any possible minefields, creating a path in which he and his followers could safely cross the desert.

     "I hate this, I hate this. I'm sick of seeing sand." Sage groaned, throwing her head back in exaggerated discomfort.

    "Well, look at the sky instead. The sun. It's sinking." Murphy observed, attempting to distract the girl.

     "I think you mean setting." She smirked, correcting him.

     "Sinking, setting, same shit." Murphy alliterated.

     Sage glanced back at the boy before up at the sky where the sun did in fact appear to be sinking. The sky as something Sage had now found herself admiring quite a bit since travelling out to the desert. When there was nothing around but sand, you couldn't help but look for more.

     "Can I ask you something?" Murphy's voice interrupted her train of thought. Sage assumed his question was directed towards her and when she glanced back to see his eyes situated on herself she confirmed her guess.

     "Shoot." She agreed.

     "Why were you so pissed with Caspian? I mean I know he's a drop kick but you seemed to really hate him. What was that back there?" Murphy chuckled through his questions, looking back on the memory of the girl sneering at the man as she held his shirt in her fist.

     "Oh that." Sage smiled, looking down at her feet.

     "He was trying to convince us to leave you in the desert instead of waiting for you to wake up." Sage began. "And I wasn't about to let that happen, I couldn't just leave you there. I... We have our pact." Sage reminded with a small shrug, failing to hide the light smile making its way onto her face.

     "Oh. So it was about me." The boy smirked. Sage playfully shoved his shoulder, silently scolding herself for feeding his ego. "Thank you." He stated after a moment.

     "It's nothing. I'd do it again in a heartbeat." She shrugged, smiling softly at the boy.

     "I appreciate it, seriously. I'm glad I brought you with me." He revealed, still walking behind her.

    "As if I'd say no. I mean yes we're stuck in the desert and yes I can feel myself losing sanity but as if I'd pass on the opportunity to leave that shit hole with a charmin-" Sage stopped herself mid sentence, cutting herself off before she fell into the trap of letting the boy know what she thought of him.

     "Hold on what was it you were going to say?" Murphy asked. Sage couldn't see him in that moment but she could hear the smirk in his voice causing her to roll her eyes involuntarily.

     "Don't make me feed your ego, darling." She sighed, utilising the nickname he often used for her.

     The boy laughed to himself thinking about the girls words. He really meant what he said earlier. About appreciating her. He did. He didn't know what he would do in that situation without her, in fact she was one of the only things keeping him going. And it was in that moment, as she glanced back at him with a playful smirk gracing her lips, Murphy realised it didn't matter that she looked like a wreck out in the desert, it didn't matter that they could blow up in any second. All that mattered was her. Her and those damned brown eyes.

    The boy's epiphany was cut short by the sound of gasping behind him. He turned quickly, finding a member of their group muttering to himself in panic.

     "Don't trip. Don't trip." His panicky voice murmured.

     "It's four mines down, infinity to go, Jaha." Murphy muttered, his bitter persona replacing the former playful demeanour he often seemed to adopt around Sage.

     "We will make it, John." Jaha objected, optimistic as always.

     "I can't do this anymore." The man continued. Sage turned to face him, her eyes meeting the image of his heavy breathing as he appeared to be shaking, standing unsteadily on the sand.

     "Calm down, Richards." Murphy frowned as he glanced back at the worrisome man.

     "Who do you think it is anyway? It must have power." Murphy spoke. "A shower would be nice right about now. Wash off the rest of Harris." He continued causing Sage to chuckle softly. Richards continued to groan behind them, causing Sage to turn to him and assess his situation. He was hunched over and his eyes watched the ground beneath him as his hands fumbled through his hair.

     "Sienna said it's a place where everyone is welcome." Jaha announced.

     "I call bullshit." Sage muttered as she continued to follow the path.

     "That'd be a first, wouldn't it?" Murphy scoffed.

     "I can't take this, It's right there." Richards whined.

     "Just be patient man." Sage muttered. Although the man had other ideas and began to run out into the open despite the possibility of mines. The others shouted in objection as he continued to sprint through the sand. Only coming to a stop when Jaha tackled him into the dirt.

     The others looked around in amazement, for they now knew the mines had been deactivated, no longer active and no longer possessed the ability to hurt them. Sage watched the sand before her, astounded and relieved at the realisation that she could actually take a step without the fear of exploding.

     She glanced back at Murphy who held the hint of a smirk on his face as he too was ready to rush into the wasteland.

↯

     She hoped it was worth it. Really she did. Because after so many days spent struggling through the unknown and praying to find a sanctuary, Sage could feel herself losing faith. She just wanted a home, somewhere to be and actually stay in. She wanted to hold onto to something and have a routine. At this point it was all she wanted.

     Therefore when she found herself crawling a sand dune with hopeful men all around her, she prayed whatever was on the other side was worthwhile. She had been promised a new land with a new lifestyle, a place where she would be accepted. It wasn't that she wasn't accepted back in Arkadia, she was. But it didn't feel like home. And in that moment there was nothing she wanted more.

     Sage smiled at the exhilarating thrill coursing through her veins as they raced through the desert. Only a few more miles and they'd be there. A new life, a new beginning. Sage couldn't wait. She ignored the sand and blood staining her body and instead focused on the wind gushing through her hair and smile failing to leave her face.

     "Are you kidding me?" Murphy's semi distant voice questioned. Sage struggled up the hill before standing by his side, her heart and hope shattering at what she saw.

     Before them was more sand although it was littered with solar panels. All of which, despite being in good condition were clearly abandoned. Their so called City of Light was nothing but a field of worn out glass.

     "This is it?" Sage asked hopelessly, her eyes almost welling up at the disappointment. She was devastated to say the least.

      "This is what we crossed the desert to find?" Richards questioned miserably.

     "It can't be." Jaha breathed out in disbelief.

    "Well, it fucking is." Sage muttered bitterly to herself.

    "Well, guess what? Your enlightened society, it's not a city. It's nothing." Murphy responded, clearly enraged by their situation.

     "I fell down from space, I defied death, It was all for a reason, It has to be." Jaha breathed in disbelief of his luck.

↯

     Despite the reality of their supposed 'City of Light', Jaha had insisted they travel into said wasteland. Sage didn't know why she was still following him, probably because she had nothing better to do, the only other reason seemed to be because of her pact with Murphy. The wasteland was dry and nothing but solar panels and more fucking sand. Sage kicked the sand harshly out of anger before continuing on her way.

    "Oh what a joke." Murphy muttered bitterly. Sage glanced at him before looking back straight ahead.

    "It doesn't make any sense." Jaha noted as he gazed over the seemingly intact solar panels.

    "The rest of the world is broken, but these panels are all intact."

     "Well we can fix that." Murphy challenged before picking up a rock by his feet and launching it at one of the panels, shattering the glass and creating a loud crashing noise.

     A drone type aircraft emerged from the top of a nearby tower causing the voyagers to stare at one another in disbelief. Sage frowned and squinted her eyes to see said machinery as she didn't acquire the greatest eyesight in the sun. Sure enough the aircraft flew towards them, as it got closer Sage felt herself stepping back in wary that it could possibly begin shooting at her in any second.

     It paused in front of them, allowing them to observe it's make. It was black and had four rotors propelling it upwards. It was also dotted with various red LED lights which shone into the faces along with the sun.

     "What the hell is that?" Murphy questioned.

     "It's a drone." Jaha stated before beginning to run after the now retreating drone. Sage glanced at Murphy who shrugged before beginning to chase after the drone.

     "Don't lose sight of it." Jaha commanded as his followers began to sprint behind him. Sage pushed her legs harder than she ever had, for she was more than determined now, if this could lead her to a better life she was going to get it. There had been a lot of back and forth between Sage's belief, one minute she was thrilled for a new beginning, the next that hope was shattered. And then she was told it was possible again and she was running, pushing every inch of her body to receive exactly that. And to say she was exhausted would be the greatest understatement of the century.

     The drone led them across a kilometre of sand or so before stopping at a shore. Sage glanced down as water lapped over her combat boots, wetting them and removing the sand she had acquired over the past week or so.

     The aircraft continued over the water not even halting when it passed over a small boat. The others watched as Jaha threw his cane and observed said ship.

     "Where is it going?" Murphy asked.

     "I don't know." Jaha dismissed as he continued to pace around the side of the boat.

     "But we're going to follow it. In this." He confirmed as he began to push it further into the water. Sage took a step back, for she had never been fond of water, in fact she hated it, a lot. And getting into a boat with an insane man who would do anything for this City of Light, on water, in a small and flimsy boat, was definitely not ideal.

    "Tell me, what level of crazy is too much for you. I'm just curious." Murphy drawled.

     Jaha sent the boy a smile with an interesting gleam in his eye. "We need a boat..." He started, glancing between each of his followers. "...and a boat appears. This is our destiny."

    "The City of Light is out there and we are going to find it. Now get in the boat." He instructed.

    Sage sighed at the man's preaching as Murphy pinched the bridge of his nose.

    "You heard the man." Murphy shrugged, allowing the two men to go in front of him. They both hopped into the boat carefully leaving only Murphy and Sage still on the sand.

    "Remind me again why I agreed to do this with you." She breathed as she gazed out to the seemingly endless water.

     "Because you love me." He winked. She rolled her eyes playfully before letting her eyes trail up to him. He was already looking at her.

    "After you." He stated with an outstretched hand. She nodded warily before stepping into the rocking boat, an uneasy feeling already consuming her stomach. Murphy pushed the boat forward before finally hopping in himself. Sage made room for him only for his arm to snake around her waist and pull her closer.

     "I know you're scared of water. But it's okay. I'm here." He whispered softly, not allowing the others to overhear his kind hearted words.

     Sage smiled softly before gulping at the unstable sensation of the boat. She glanced over the side, immediately filling with dread as she watched the water lap over itself. And as she gazed out into the horrid waves only one thing seemed to linger in her mind.

    What have I got myself into?

author's note;
hey my dudes! it's your girl back w another update yayay, im pretty happy with this chapter not gonna lie lmao. sorry for taking so long to upload i am the worst™️ it's fine tho. thank you all for reading i love u vv much!

don't forget to vote & comment! lotta love

— clovdy

dedications —

astrovibess
thomasangsters
fakeIovey
masverl
stxrlessnights