Maxi blinked in disbelief. When the boulder fell, it had caused the precariously leaning rock face to collapse. She heard Ulyseon’s shocked voice above her head.
“By God…”
As though afraid he would drop her, Ulyseon’s arm tightened painfully around her waist. He could only speak in a shaky mumble as he fought for breath.
“Do you see it, my lady? Half the monster army was crushed, and it closed off the southern route. Now the city should be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive.”
Finally coming to his senses, he pulled Maxi up onto the cliff. Maxi clung to him, barely managing to clamber up themountain of dirt. Ulyseon excitedly chattered away as he ushered her to a safe area.
“That was amazing, my lady. Just incredible. But we should still leave this place at once. The monsters will know where we are by now. If we don’t find a place to hide soon—”
Ulyseon let out a low gasp. Maxi hazily looked up at him and watched him hastily rip off a piece of his cloak. To her unfocused eyes, he seemed to be moving in slow motion.
He reached out to clutch her face. “Heavens, y-you’re bleeding….”
She remembered the goblin blood splattered all over her. With great effort, she managed to open her mouth to explain. “I-It’s goblin blood. I-It got on me wh-when…”
“No, my lady. It’s—”
Ulyseon pressed the torn fabric to her nose. Only then did Maxi realize that something warm was streaming from it. The metallic tang of blood reached her lips; she must have been bleeding quite badly. Still, she was embarrassed to appear so unseemly in front of Ulyseon.
Nausea washed over her, and she suddenly felt cold and dizzy. She realized that her limbs had been shaking for some time. The color drained from Ulyseon’s face as he sensed that something was gravely wrong.
“You’re bleeding a lot, my lady. Hold this against your nose until it stops.”
With a trembling hand, Maxi managed to press the fabric beneath her nose. Ulyseon crouched down with his back to her.
“Let me carry you, my lady.”
Remaining on her feet was already a struggle. Maxi obeyed the squire’s direction and allowed him to carry heron his back. Ulyseon hoisted her with ease and darted through the trees like a winged creature.
“Hold on,” he said resolutely. “I will find a safe place for us.”
The squire’s voice sounded strangely distant. Stifling a moan, Maxi desperately clung to consciousness. She would only become more burdensome if she were to black out now. She was grappling with the little energy she had left when Garrow’s voice called out.
“Uly! What happened?”
Ulyseon came to a halt, trying not to jolt Maxi on his back. “Her ladyship destroyed the rock face, and I think it depleted her mana.”
Garrow hurried over to them, mouth agape in astonishment. “A-Are you all right, my lady?”
Maxi looked up at him with bleary eyes, and Garrow’s pale face slowly came into focus. How ghastly did she look for the squire to be making such an alarmed expression?
“We must hurry and get her ladyship to safety,” Ulyseon said grimly. “The monsters saw us. Those that survived the landslide will be coming after us.”
Garrow glanced around anxiously. “Are we going east as planned?”
Ulyseon shook his head. “Her ladyship won’t be able to endure the journey through the wilderness in her current condition. We have to return to Eth Lene Castle.”
“But the battle…”
“The southern route was completely closed off by the landslide, and there are about a hundred monsters trapped between the city walls and a barricade of rocks. Theremaining forces should be able to handle them,” Ulyseon said. “The problem is the surviving monsters. It’s difficult to predict what they’ll do.”
“How many of them survived?” Garrow asked.
“Around six, seven hundred…No, I can’t say for certain. More than half of them were crushed, but with their regenerative abilities, most will likely get back on their feet unless they were killed instantly.”
Ulyseon carefully lowered Maxi’s listless body to the ground when they reached his horse. She whimpered in pain as her rib and shoulder made contact with the earth. Ulyseon’s eyes were filled with worry as he gazed down at her, seemingly at a loss for what todo.
