Chapter Eighteen #4
“What if we miss the others?” Ulyseon asked.
“There is a village right below this mountain. We will gather there. Now, stop asking questions and follow me.” He spurred his horse forward, scanning their surroundings. “We must hurry. We do not know when the goblins will return.”
Maxi hunched her shoulders and surveyed the dense trees and rocks. The thought that monsters might be watching them like hawks from the deep shadows sent chills down her spine.
Garrow stepped closer to Maxi in a protective stance and asked Gabel, “Do you think they caused the rockslide?”
“Probably. I’d wager that’s how they have been attacking bigger monsters or merchants traveling through this mountain. There might be more traps about, so stay vigilant.” Gabel jumped his horse over a small boulder and signaled for the party to set out.
Maxi sweated buckets as she crawled up the slope, even with the knights’ help. Every inch of her body screamed with the effort. Her wrist twinged painfully with every jerk, and she wondered if she had sprained it in the fall.
“Are you all right, my lady?” Gabel was assessing her with shrewd eyes.
“Y-Yes.” She was far from all right, but she answered out of habit.
Gabel clearly saw through her hollow response, but turned his gaze to the gloomy mountain path once more. His lips tightened to a thin line. “It would be difficult for us to rest right now, my lady. Please endure until we find a safe place.”
With an arm slung over Rem’s back, Maxi desperately tried to keep up with the knights as they weaved through the trees, their swords drawn.
“Do you think the goblins will come after us?” she asked.
“They saw us fall, so yes, they will,” Gabel replied. “And you can bet that they will go after the smaller party.”
“Indeed…they would not give up so easily after preparing such a big trap,” a knight muttered apathetically, ducking his head to avoid a branch.
“We will just do away with them should they come after us,” said another knight. “If it weren’t for that trap, those damned goblins would all be—”
“Don’t make light of them just because they’re goblins,” Gabel said, cutting him off.
“Have you learned nothing from what just happened? They might not be high-level monsters, but they possess astonishing collaboration skills even among the monsters of the Ayin race. In large numbers like that horde back there, they can be dangerous. They use their heads. That’s nothing to scoff at, especially when they have land to use to their advantage. ”
Leaving the other knights chagrined, Gabel trekked back to the head of the group to continue leading them through the thick trees.
Before long, the blazing sun was dimming into a hazy light.
Wiping the droplets of sweat trickling down her forehead, Maxi looked up at the birds soaring above them.
Though it was still bright, mountain sunsets were abrupt.
There was no knowing when darkness would descend.
Maxi knew Gabel was right—they could not afford to dawdle in a forest like this. Desperately, she trudged on.
“We will get back on our horses once we reach even ground, so please take heart until then, my lady,” Garrow said, clearly anxious to keep Maxi moving at pace.
Despite his encouragement, she kept lagging behind as he carefully led their party through the trees.
Maxi lost track of time after a while, but eventually, the slope became noticeably gentler.
After surveying their surroundings, Gabel raised his hand to signal that they could take a short rest. Maxi slumped to the ground and tried to catch her breath. Ulyseon uncorked a waterskin and handed it to her.
“This is a pellet made with sugar and salt, my lady. Please, take it with some water. It should help you replenish your energy.”
Maxi washed down the round, candy-like pellet.
She spilled half the water on her dress, but you could barely tell given how soaked they were with sweat.
After handing the waterskin back to Ulyseon, Maxi chewed on mandrago root from the pouch tied to her belt.
She had to recover what little mana she could.
“We should go on horseback from here,” Gabel said, drinking from his own waterskin. “They look exhausted but should be able to manage a low climb. Do you think you can ride, my lady?”
Maxi nodded. She savored the last few moments of rest to catch her breath and regain a sliver of energy before Ulyseon and Garrow helped her remount Rem. She was not entirely convinced that she could stay on without falling off, but there was nothing to do but try.
They rode along the quiet mountain path in silence.
The knights remained vigilant with their hands on the hilts of their swords.
Terrified that monsters would leap out of the thicket at any moment, Maxi threw nervous glances at the shadows between the trees.
She had an eerie feeling that something was watching them from the dense vegetation.
Gabel abruptly raised his hand and signaled for them to ride faster. Maxi galloped behind the knights in confusion, doing her best to keep up. Leaning her body close to Rem to avoid falling off, Maxi chanced a look over her shoulder and saw goblins ferociously chasing after them.
“My lady!” Garrow cried. “Keep your eyes on the path!
Maxi tore her gaze away from the goblins just as the knights fired a barrage of arrows at the charging horde. As she frantically spurred Rem on, there was an unpleasant ringing in her ears.
Then, something fell from the trees.
Maxi was too out of breath to scream. She clutched at the reins as Rem reared to buck off the goblin that had latched on to the poor horse’s head.
Maxi grabbed on to Rem’s neck for dear life.
The goblin let out a strange yip and maintained its vicious grip.
After getting worked up into a frenzy of bucking and rearing, Rem changed tactics and bolted down the mountain.
Maxi yanked at the reins, but it was no use.
The goblin bared its teeth and anchored itself with one arm coiled stubbornly around Rem’s neck.
Maxi instinctively made a fist-sized flame spark on the monster’s face.
The goblin screeched and let go, finally falling off the horse.
The mare’s graceful forelegs ruthlessly stomped on the goblin’s bulbous head.
Maxi squeezed her eyes shut. Rem continued to trample the corpse for a while, but she eventually stopped and dropped her head in exhaustion. Hot tears streaked down Maxi’s cheeks as she clung to her mount. She felt as though she had been tossed about by a tempest.
When she finally looked around, the forest was silent. She had no idea where she was in relation to the others. Rem had galloped down the mountain at such speed that it had apparently taken no time for Maxi to be separated from the party.
Taking shallow breaths, Maxi waited. The knights would find her.
—
The forest remained deathly still. Maxi gnawed her lip as her eyes roamed the trees for any sign of movement. Rem snorted impatiently and began to paw at the ground.
Just how far am I?
Maxi started at a sudden rustle behind her and whirled around to see something dart into the bushes. Her arms prickled with goosebumps. Ignoring the sound of her own heart beating in her ears, Maxi pressed her heels into Rem’s side, clenching the reins tightly.
As if conjured from her worst fears, the monster hiding in the bushes flew at her like an arrow.
It was another goblin.
Maxi spurred Rem with everything she had.
The goblin charged at them wielding a club as Rem galloped over the twisted roots on the forest floor.
The goblin was not as nimble as the mare, and its foot caught on one of the roots, sending it tumbling down the mountain.
But Maxi was taking no chances, and spurred Rem on.
She had an ominous feeling that more creatures lurked behind the rocks or trees, waiting for the chance to swallow her whole.
When they finally came to a stop, Rem slumped onto the ground in exhaustion. Maxi shakily dismounted in time to avoid getting crushed by the horse’s bulk and frantically checked her surroundings. Her pounding heart felt as though it might explode, her nerves so tense they might snap at any moment.
What should I do now?
Maxi wiped the sweat from her brow and tried to get her bearings.
After two frenzied sprints on Rem, her sense of direction had become completely muddled.
Close to tears, she bit her lip. What if the knights did not find her?
Would she have to spend a night alone on this mountain teeming with monsters?
A shiver ran down her spine when the image of the harpies feasting on the drake carcasses came to mind.
Overwhelmed with fear and helplessness, Maxi crumpled to the ground, buried her face on her knees, and began to sob.
The fear that she might become just like those carcasses was too much.
She thought she understood now why Riftan had been so against her venturing away from the castle.
The wide world was far more terrifying and dangerous than she had ever imagined.
No, Maxi. This is not the time to weep. It will not make things any better.
Striving to calm her rising emotions, she wiped her tears away with a knuckle and surveyed her surroundings once more.
To her right was a steep slope. To her left, a gentle incline densely lined with trees bordered a soaring rock face.
The party had been heading northwest, but Gabel had said that they would take the northeast path out of the mountain since their route had been cut off.
If she traveled in the same direction, she would eventually cross paths with them.
The only other option was staying put and waiting to be rescued.
For a moment, Maxi just sat and looked up at the cloudy sky through the lush leaves. Taking a breath, she rose and coaxed Rem upright.
She would not leave her fate to the knights. She had to find a way out by herself.