Maxi took a shaky breath. “I-It’s so dark.”
“If you give me your reins, I will lead your horse for you. You can hold on to the saddle.”
Maxi obediently handed him her reins. For about ten minutes or so, the only sound was hooves hitting the ground as they navigated through the passage. Ulyseon stopped at the front of the group and banged on the wall. Seconds later, light filtered into the passageway as a narrow exit opened.
“As soon as we recaptured Eth Lene, Sir Riftan ordered a thorough inspection of the castle’s layout,” he said. “That’s how we discovered this secret passageway.”
Maxi squinted as sunlight flooded in. An uneven forest path shrouded by thick trees led away from the opening. Riding ahead, Ulyseon urged themon.
“We must be out of here before nightfall. We’ll have to ride fast, so try to keep up, my lady.”
“H-How long will it take…for us to reach the coalition army?” Maxi asked.
There was a pause.
“We should reach them by tomorrow if we hurry,” Ulyseon finally said.
“D-Do you think the city will be able to hold the fort until then?”
“Mage Ruth is with them. He won’t let it fall that easily.”
Maxi pursed her lips at the strange tension in the squire’s voice. Something was clearly off. They rode in silence for a while until she was unable to quell her doubts any longer.
“D-Did you lead me out of the city…b-because you’ve determined that Eth Lene will fall?”
Ulyseon flinched, and his face was pale when he turned to meet her gaze. Maxi bit her lip. She had thought it was odd that they were bringing her along on a mission that required utmost haste. Now seeing the truth on the squire’s face made her heart sink.
“If the situation was that dire…sh-shouldn’t we have…evacuated everyone through that secret—”
“The monsters would have discovered us if we’d tried to evacuate hundreds of people at the same time. And fleeing with the wounded would’ve been difficult,” Garrow said, firmly cutting her off. “Right now, informing the coalition army of the invasion is our best option.”
Crestfallen, Maxi spurred her horse on. They rode in frantic haste along the winding forest path. Soon a steep rock face emerged between the dense trees.
Changing course, Ulyseon rode along the craggy ridge. Maxi was galloping behind him when she abruptly pulled her horse to a stop. Garrow, riding at the rear, reined in his mount with a baffled expression.
Maxi’s face hardened as she checked the sun’s positionabove the forest. “W-We aren’t going north. Where…are we going, exactly?”
“My lady…”
“I want the truth,” she demanded. “Are we r-really trying to meet up with the c-coalition army?”
Ulyseon’s face blanched. He pressed his lips together and hung his head. That was all the answer Maxi needed. When she turned her horse around, Garrow swiftly blocked her path.
“If we travel southeast around this cliff, we’ll arrive at a fortress held by Baron Gideon, which has been safe from monster invasion so far,” he said. “It might be a little far, but it should be the safest place. Sir Riftan ordered us to take you there straightaway in the event of any problems.”
Maxi stared at him. “Then…who will inform the army o-of the invasion?”
“We’ve already sent a messenger.”
Maxi flushed with anger at Garrow’s calmness. “If we’re not going to the coalition army…I-I am returning to Eth Lene Castle. I cannot j-just escape on my own! Not when Ruth, Sir Hebaron…a-and the female clerics are still in there—”
“My lady,” Ulyseon said, his voice heavy.
Maxi flinched and clenched her mouth shut. The squire rode up to her and continued grimly, “Do you know who those ghouls originally were?”
Before Maxi could say anything, Ulyseon launched into a rapid-fire explanation.
“A corpse turns into an undead when it is contaminated by magic. The ghouls were the original inhabitants of the city before it fell to the monsters. When they captured EthLene, those fiends turned the human corpses into ghouls and buried them. If we return to the city now…we will be facing the same fate.”
