Azad stretched, groaning as he straightened his back. His body was sore from all the climbing, running, and rough nights of sleeping on the ground. "Ellie, I'm so tired of this. We need to build a real house and get some rest. My back feels like it's aged fifty years from all this dirt and stone."
Ellie was sitting on a rock, fidgeting with her sword as she glanced at him. "Yeah, we could use a break. It's been nothing but chaos these past few days." She paused, then a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Wait, speaking of rest… I have an idea for those beds you keep whining about."
Azad raised an eyebrow. "Beds? You've been holding out on me this whole time?"
Ellie stood up, pulling out their trusty crafting table. She placed it down with a determined look. "No, but we can make them now! We've got the sheep right here." She quickly crafted a shear with two iron ingots. As she finished, she turned toward the sheep nearby, giving them a sly look.
The sheep seemed to sense something was up and bleated nervously.
"Uh, Ellie? You're giving them that evil genius look again. Don't do anything crazy," Azad said, half-joking but slightly concerned.
Ellie waved him off, laughing as she walked over to the sheep. "Relax, we're not killing them. We just need a little wool. It's time they contributed to our comfort." She snipped the wool from the sheep, leaving them comically half-naked.
Azad chuckled, watching the scene unfold. "I think you scared them more than the zombies did."
"Maybe," Ellie said, shrugging. "But now we have wool. We just need some wood for the bed frames."
Azad frowned, realizing their lack of materials. "Wood? We're out of wood. All that climbing and you expect me to chop trees now?"
Ellie handed him the last two sticks and three iron ingots. "Well, you're in luck. I'm making you an axe so you can be useful."
Azad groaned dramatically, taking the iron axe she crafted. "Oh sure, make me do all the hard labor while you boss me around. Typical."
Ellie smirked. "You're welcome. Now go get that wood while I finish up here."
Grumbling but still smiling, Azad went off toward the nearby trees. The area around them was peaceful, the plains stretching out into the horizon, the mountains looming behind them like a protective wall. The sun had started its slow descent, casting a golden hue over the grassy land. Choco barked happily and followed Azad, occasionally darting after a butterfly or two.
As Azad chopped down the trees, the sound of his axe thudding against the wood echoed through the air. The trees fell easily, their logs piling up. "At least this is better than mining," he muttered, wiping his brow. "No spiders, no creepers, just trees."
By the time he returned with enough wood, Ellie had already set up a little workstation near their temporary camp. "Finally!" Azad said, dropping the wood. "Beds incoming!"
Ellie wasted no time, combining the wood with the wool to make two beds. "Here we go," she said with a satisfied grin, handing Azad one of the beds. "Actual beds. You won't have to sleep in the dirt anymore. Happy?"
Azad held the bed like it was a rare treasure. "Finally! I thought I'd never see one of these again." He looked at Ellie with exaggerated reverence. "You, Ellie, are my hero."
Ellie laughed. "Don't get all sentimental on me now. We still need to make a house."
Azad groaned. "Ugh, can't we just sleep under the stars? This bed is so tempting."
"One more thing," Ellie said, rolling her eyes. "We need a roof over our heads, Azad. You don't want a creeper blowing up your precious bed, do you?"
Reluctantly, Azad nodded. "Alright, fine. Let's build something."
Ellie quickly crafted another axe for herself and, together, they gathered more wood. As they worked, they exchanged banter, the atmosphere lighter than it had been in days.
"Do you ever stop working?" Azad asked as Ellie chopped away at the trees.
"Nope," Ellie said, not missing a beat. "If we don't keep moving, we die. Simple as that."
Azad sighed. "Why does everything with you sound so dramatic? We're just trying to build a house, not fight an army."
Ellie grinned. "Trust me, after what we've been through, this is the easy part."
After gathering enough wood, they built a small box-shaped shelter. It was simple—just four walls, a roof, and a door—but it was enough to keep them safe from the elements and any wandering mobs.
Azad stepped back, admiring their work. "It's not a mansion, but it's home."
Ellie nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow. "It'll do. We just need a place to rest and recuperate for a while."
With their shelter complete, they finally placed their beds inside. Azad flopped onto his bed with a sigh of relief. "Ahhh, this is heaven. A real bed. I don't care how ugly the house is, this bed is perfect."
Ellie laughed, lying down on her bed. "You've become so easy to please."
Azad closed his eyes, feeling the exhaustion of the past days finally catching up with him. "I'm just glad we're not sleeping on dirt anymore."
"Same," Ellie agreed, her voice softer as she relaxed. "Let's take a day to rest. We'll need our strength for whatever comes next."
Azad nodded, drifting off. For the first time in days, he felt like they could breathe. The peaceful sounds of the plains outside, the gentle rustle of the wind through the grass, and the soft barks of Choco made it feel like heaven even in this harsh world, they had found a moment of peace.
And with that, they both fell into a deep, well-deserved sleep.