A crimson flush rose on Riftan’s face. He brought his head down to hers and gritted his teeth.
“Are you done? ‘
Maxi did not back down, glaring right back at him. “I-I am not! You are the most… o-obstinate person alive!”
“Obstinate?’
He gaped at her as if doubting his ears.
“You’re calling me obstinate?” he shot back, his voice rising. ‘You?”
“That’s right! I called you obstinate! What of it?”
Riftan’s face contorted at her defiant glare before he exploded in anger. “That’s rich! You’re as stubborn as a mule! When have I ever succeeded in bending your will?!
Maxi faltered. It occurred to her then that she had always done what she wanted, whether Riftan approved or not. Still, she could not bring herself to meekly admit it.
“Th-That goes for you as well!” she yelled, refusing to be placated. “You’ve always… always declined my offers of help. Whenever… I wanted to do something for you, you would always look thoroughly displeased before shooting me down. I understood… your rejection in the past. After all, I was not competent, a-and you had more talented people around you. B-But I am now officially a mage! And still you refuse to acknowledge me!”
“That’s not true!” Riftan argued back. “Had I not acknowledged you as a mage, I would never have allowed you to come to this accursed land! You have no idea! No idea how difficult it is for me to see you starving, sleeping in the dirt, shivering from the cold. It made me feel wretched, but I kept silent. It took all my patience not to interfere!”
The muscles in his broad neck twitched as he spat each word, “All I want is for my wife to live an easier life. My greatest desire is to leave this treacherous place at once! Is that such a sin?’
“I-I don’t want to hide away by myself. To live in comfort while you’re— do you not see that I care for you far more than you do for me? How could I leave…
knowing that m -my husband is in danger?!’
Her words reverberated through the air. A strange expression twisted Riftan’s features as though he could not fathom why someone would be so worried about him.
It struck her that perhaps that was the core of their issues. With no one to protect or care for him, Riftan had always had to fend for himself. Even someone as ignorant of worldly matters as Maxi could imagine the kind of treatment he would have received growing up as an orphan of mixed blood. And as he grew older, the likelihood of some kind soul taking him under their wing would have only become slimmer.
The idea that someone was worried about his well-being might simply be incomprehensible to him. He was oblivious to how much she cared about him, for his safety and happiness. As soon as she realized this, all the fight drained out of her.
Lying with her back to him, she gazed up at the swaying shadows on the cave ceiling. Riftan removed his armor and lay down so that he was up against her back. The heat radiating from his steel-like body seemed to penetrate her blanket and seep into her. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she squeezed them shut as if that would suppress her longing.
At first light the next day, Sidina finally came to. She looked about in a daze before her disoriented eyes focused on Calto and Maxi, who were peering down at her in concern.
“We’re saved!” she exclaimed.
She sounded so much like herself that Maxi sighed in relief. Though Sidina’s body must have been exhausted, her spirit was very much intact. It was not long before she began to prattle on about her experience while eating barley gruel.
“Max, you’ve no idea the amazing adventure I had! Do you know what a lamia’s bite feels like? Take a look at this. You see the marks? It bit me right on the nape with its fangs! I felt its cold venom spreading through me, and suddenly, I had this insatiable hunger to destroy everything! Do you think that’s how monsters feel? When we return to the Mage Tower, I think I’d like to study the nature of monsters! ”
“Quieter, Sidina,” Maxi warned, glancing at the Temple Knights who were gathering their things.
Despite her bout of excited chatter, Sidina had yet to fully regain her senses. She mumbled unintelligibly for some time before falling back asleep. Once it became clear that she would not be able to ride by herself, Hebaron hoisted her onto his mount.
By contrast, Ulyseon seemed to have the recuperating powers of a monster. He nimbly hopped onto his warhorse without any assistance. The unconscious Temple Knight also came to by the time they were ready to set out, allowing them to leave without further delay.
Maxi was relieved, to say the least. They were in a race against time. Not only were they running out of food, but an even bigger problem loomed. They were almost out of horse fodder. Starved mounts meant they would not be able to keep going, stranding them in this wasteland of rock and snow.
The knights, well aware of this fact, drove the horses on with minimal rest.
Though they tried not to show it, Maxi could tell they were anxious. The mages were unusually quiet, a clear sign that they also recognized the dire situation. When they briefly stopped to rest, Calto took charge of watering their steeds. “I think I have healed more horses than humans in this expedition,” he muttered.
Though the elder readily cast restorative magic on their animals, Maxi had never seen him do the same for himself.
Ruth sighed as he cast restorative magic on his uncle. ‘This is why I told you not to come. You should really think of your age.”
Too tired to strike back, Calto merely shot daggers at him. Once the horses were done drinking, the party set off again through the snowy hills. By the time they reached the midway point, Sidina had recovered enough to ride on her own, and their relentless pace got them to the ruins before their provisions ran dry.
Maxi clambered down from her horse as soon as she reached the tent. Her buttocks, thighs, and calves felt as though they had hardened into lumps of iron. Her face, battered by the wind all day long, stung as if burned. Seeing her staggering, Riftan supported her with one arm.
“Are you all right?” he asked brusquely.
Feeling too drained to put up an act, Maxi shook her head. Riftan entrusted their horses to the knights who had rushed out to greet them, then strode into the tent with Maxi in tow. He laid her down next to a brazier. The other mages filed in and began dropping to the ground as well.
Hebaron shook his head as he looked down at their sprawled figures. “1 guess we won’t be heading to Eth Lene Castle today.”
Maxi looked up at him in horror. Were the knights planning to ride to Eth Lene the very same day? Their situation was certainly urgent, but they had been stuck in their saddles, forgoing eat or sleep. Had it been possible, she would have wanted nothing more than to remain perfectly still for at least the next few days…
