Riftan seemed to regret revealing his feelings to her as well. That much was evident from his downcast eyes and gloomy expression.
“There might be monsters hiding in the area, so keep your guards up,” Kuahel warned in a low voice as he led the knights between two boulders covered in ice.
Maxi forced her thoughts away from Riftan and tried to take in their surroundings. All over the snow-covered knoll were large, ragged rocks shaped like hooks. Their contours were too unnatural to be the product of wind weathering, but neither did they seem man-made. Fascinated, she was staring at the massive structures when Riftan’s gruff voice interrupted.
“This must be a basilisk habitat.”
Maxi’s eyes darted to him in surprise.
Reining his horse to a stop, Riftan scanned the area before adding, “Basilisks build their nests by stacking rocks like this. The shape is likely from the monster’s breath, which melts part of the stone.”
“Is it safe for us to be here?” Ulyseon asked, glancing about warily.
Riftan nodded. “There are no indications that the monster still dwells here. Seeing how thick the ice on the rocks is, it must have left a long time ago.”
Kuahel seemed deep in thought as he mumbled, “How fortuitous.”
Riftan turned around to regard the Temple Knight with a frown. “What do you mean?”
“If you’re correct, there must be a cave nearby which the basilisk used as its den. We can make our base there.”
“Is that wise? It may still be there,” said one of the Temple Knights who had been trailing Kuahel like a shadow.
Ulyseon’s face crumpled in anger. He was clearly incensed that the knight had the gall to doubt Riftan’s assessment. Before he could voice his ire, however, Kuahel spoke first.
“When it comes to monsters, you can trust this man’s judgment. He rose to his current rank hunting dragons, after all.”
“How kind of you to say so,” Riftan quipped before lightly spurring Talon’s side. “Let us find this shelter, then.”
Still apprehensive, the mages glanced around at the jagged rocks before reluctantly following the knights. Rem seemed skittish, steam streaming from her nostrils with every snort. Maxi coaxed her around the boulders after the others.
They plodded along the winding trail for a while before coming across an opening in a crag at least thirty kevettes (approximately 9 meters) high. The knights dismounted and inspected the cave first, then gave the signal for the mages to enter.
They cautiously followed the lights lit by the knights. The stone walls were smooth as though covered in plaster, and the ground was level. Even with fifteen horses standing in it, the cavern still had ample room. Maxi breathed a sigh. Since finding a place to shelter from the wind and snow was extremely difficult in this wasteland, she was relieved that the space was more hospitable than she had expected.
“So, this is what a basilisk den looks like. It’s rather magnificent!” Sidina exclaimed as she swept her eyes around the cavern.
Maxi frowned as she unsaddled Rem. “I would rather not think about that.”
“Phooey! Whyever not? It’s not every day one gets to step foot inside a monster habitat.”
“That means one of us will have to remain,” Geoffrey said, scratching the back of his head. He glanced back and forth between Albern and Nevin before fixing his gaze on Nevin. “It should be you since you’re the frailest among us. I’m sure it’ll be no easy task, carrying around that flabby belly of yours.”
“Did you think such insults would make me refuse?” Nevin retorted with a snort. “As I do not mind staying behind, I shall gratefully accept your consideration.”
Kuahel, who had been patiently listening to their deliberation, unfolded his arms. “It’s decided, then. Two paladins will stay behind with you.”
He then turned to look at Riftan as if challenging him to object. “Any problems?”
Riftan regarded Maxi uneasily before shaking his head with a sigh. He was likely hesitant to leave her behind in such a place.
“None.”
“Good. Then, let us start packing. We won’t be going far, but it should still take two or three days to make a thorough reconnaissance. Make sure to take enough food.”
Maxi swiftly rose to her feet to start packing. Though she only filled her pack with the bare essentials to keep her luggage light, it still ended up as heavy as a set of iron bars. Huffing, she used a rope to secure it to her waist. Right then, Riftan walked over and took the pack from her.
“Just pack spare food.”
“B-But it’s my—”
Maxi stopped talking when he gave her a cold look.
“Climbing up the mountain alone is going to be challenging enough, so stop being stubborn,” Riftan spat brusquely.
He slung her pack over his shoulder as though it weighed nothing and strode out of the cave. Though she pouted, Maxi secretly let out a sigh of relief.
In truth, she was relieved that she would not be scaling the mountain with such heavy luggage. With her stamina, she knew it would take everything she had to keep up with the knights’ marching. Nor did it seem like she was the only mage receiving help from the knights. While her fellow mages now stood pack-free, the knights carried additional luggage on their backs. Maxi was watching them with a wry smile when Kuahel signaled their departure.
They soon walked across the snowy knoll. As she strove to keep up with the knights’ steady strides, Maxi felt glad she had asked Nevin to cast restorative magic on her before their departure. Though traveling on horseback was difficult, on foot was incomparably more so.
Maxi focused her weight on her legs so as not to slip as she trudged past the frozen rocks. Eventually, the slope grew steeper, leading them to a rugged mountain trail coated in ice.
Riftan must have been worried that she would stumble. “Hold this,” he said, extending a rope to her.
She readily accepted it, and he silently led her up the path. As a result, she was able to climb the mountain with relative ease.
They had been trekking up the trail for an indeterminable amount of time when Kuahel, at the head of the group, abruptly turned and gestured for them to hide. Half exhausted from the climb, Maxi did not immediately notice the signal. Riftan yanked her to him and made her lie flat on top of a boulder.
Startled, she held her breath. The howling wind muffled her hearing. The only clear thing was the sound of her heart pounding from the grueling climb. Because of this, she did not grasp what was happening right away. It was not until much later that she heard the faint footsteps and the rattle of rolling wheels. She felt her heart freeze in her chest.
Straining her ears, she listened to the approaching noises. When her curiosity got the better of her, she slowly raised her head and saw Riftan furtively looking down the steep slope from behind a protruding rock. Down in the valley, dozens of trolls were moving in a long procession, fifteen or so wagons in tow.
