Under the Oak Tree



390 Chapter 151

"We should get going, my lady," Elliot said after peering into the mouth of the tunnel.

Maxi picked up the bag she had previously tossed aside and turned to follow the knight. They had only taken a few steps when Elliot abruptly pulled her behind a large rock. 

With his watchful gaze fixed on the wall above, he murmured, "The monsters are starting to gather." 

Maxi slowly peered up, her eyes shining with fear. True enough, dozens of torch lights converged atop the towering wall. Her heart dropped like a lead weight. The gale carried the haunting sounds of bones clattering on steel, followed by the piercing whistle of a pipe. 

A cry of dismay escaped her as she realized the noise was to alert their monster comrades to the presence of intruders. Despite all her efforts, they had been discovered.

"W-What should we do? Should we go help-"

"There is little we can do in this situation, my lady," Elliot said matter-of-factly. "They are on their own now."

"B-But there are only five of them. H-How could they possibly...?" 

"There are many buildings within the city. If they find cover, they may escape having to fight hundreds of monsters at once," he explained calmly, leading her in the opposite direction. "We must trust them and make haste out of here. The monsters will give chase once they discover the tunnel."

The knight kept walking, taking care to tread lightly. Maxi trailed him while casting a confused glance over her shoulder.

"W-Where are we going? Should we not be going east toward the camp?" 

"Returning the way we came would expose us as soon as we climbed out of the trench. It would be safer to circle back." 

Maxi snapped her mouth shut at his brusque response. Now was not the time for questions. She had to trust in the knight's military judgment.

Elliot maintained a brisk pace, and Maxi did her best to keep up. Her mind swirled with thoughts all the while. How much of their plan had been discovered? Guilt constricted her throat as she wondered if perhaps she had made a mistake. 

And what about the Temple Knights? Were they safe? If Kuahel Leon failed to open the gates, Riftan's plans would be all for naught. And should any of Wigrew's reincarnations fall, the coalition army's morale would plummet. 

Maxi gnawed her lip. If that happened, she would be to blame. Ruth would have surely done a much better job. 

"My lady."

She snapped back to the present when Elliot grasped her hand. They had climbed out of the trench and were crouched among the dense fir trees. The wall, which had once loomed about thirty kevettes from them, was now around eighty kevettes back. Even so, Maxi felt far from safe.

She gazed up at the dozens of torches flickering behind the battlement. The group along the wall had grown in number. No doubt they were scouring the area now that word of the intrusion had spread.

Midna's southern gates swung open shortly after the liberation of the western end. While the main army continued its siege, the Remdragon Knights and the Knights of Phil Aaron charged into the city. A few hours was all it took for them to successfully reclaim Midna, leaving the army of undead reduced to ashes.

Upon her return to camp, Maxi allowed herself some rest before hastening to the field hospital to care for the wounded. Though she was worried sick for Riftan, who was still fighting in the city alongside his knights, she knew her main focus at present should be her mage duties.

I should trust him as much as he has trusted me, she repeated to herself, trying to quell her fears. 

She felt desperate to join him. But stepping foot inside Midna was not possible, at least not before the soldiers had dealt with the remaining ghouls and the clerics had purified the shrine. As she tended to the new wave of injured pouring in, Maxi impatiently waited for the call that would sound the end of battle.

Finally, the blare of a horn cut through the evening air. Maxi and the rear unit swiftly entered the city as dusk turned to night.

Evidence of the weeks-long assault was everywhere. Broken arrows littered the streets. All over the city, decomposing livestock and blackened debris were buried beneath snow, ash, and mud. The stench of death filled the air. Aside from the soldiers, there were no signs of human life. 

Surveying the desolate roads, Maxi trudged behind the soldiers to the city's central square. The men were camped together in one large group, regardless of their allegiances. After instructing the medics to establish an infirmary tent, Maxi dismounted and began searching for Riftan.

To the east of the square was a building that appeared to be a basilica. Next to it, a large stone structure with a collapsed wall drew her gaze. Relief surged through her when she spotted the Remdragon Knights.

Ursuline was the first to notice her. "Lady Calypse," he said, removing his helmet as he strode over. "I heard something went wrong during the mission. Are you unharmed?" 

"Not a scratch," she said serenely, trying to mask her sense of triumph. "Is anyone hurt? I-Is Riftan-"

"Those injured were treated by the sorcerer. The commander is, of course, unscathed," Ursuline replied flatly. He pointed a thumb at the basilica. "Your ladyship will find him in there."

Maxi immediately left Rem with the knight and ran up the stairs of the ivory building. Stepping inside, she was surprised to find the interior whole and the floor pristine.

A peculiar sensation washed over her as she explored the dimly lit space, illuminated by flickering fires. Along the nave where worshippers would have gathered, she spotted the altar. Riftan stood among the statues of saints, his eyes focused on something below. 

Her breath caught in her throat. With his longsword in one hand and torch in another, he appeared like a vision of Nathaniel, the angel of death, descended from the heavens to pass judgment on sinners. 

She studied his blank face before she cautiously approached.

"Maxi," he said, looking up.

The palpable relief in his voice resonated through her, even ringing in her bones. She ran to him.

He swiftly sheathed his sword and embraced her with his free arm. "Are you all right?" he murmured.

"Y-Yes. What about you?"

"I am as well." 

His gaze lingered on her face as he released her, causing a faint blush to creep over her cheeks. She had washed her hands and face to treat wounds, but she was certain that her hair and clothes were still very much soiled.
 

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