Under the Oak Tree

265 Chapter While the knights held the monsters back, the mages rounded up the horses and wagons to one spot and cast a barrier around them. The ground split open as walls of earth sprang up, and mages capable of long-range attacks climbed up to assist the knights. However, against the undead that were unaffected by magic, the mages’ aid was virtually pointless.

“The ghouls’ source of magic should be around here somewhere! We must locate it,” Calto cried while casting restorative magic over the Temple Knights.

Maxi crawled up the barrier’s steep slope. The scene below was a sea of undead dotted with flashes of light as the knights held them back. Ghouls crumbled into ashes around Kuahel Leon with each swing of his sword. The knights continued to push forward under his command. Every time they cut through, however, more undead would pour forth. Calto Serbel was correct — something was feeding these monsters with magic.

As soon as she realized, Maxi cast a tracing spell and sensed tangles of mana in the northwest, east, and south of the village. She could not detect any signs of life, which meant it was not a necromancer controlling the ghouls.

She immediately clambered back down the earth barrier and sprinted to Calto. When she gave her report, Calto carefully scanned their surroundings, reading the flow of mana.

“It is as you said,” he confirmed, nodding. “The village is surrounded by a barrier distorting the flow of mana. All three of the runes must be dealt with. I will ask the knights to open a path. Fire and earth mages are to go in pairs to destroy the runes around the village. Ghouls are attracted to life force, so you will be able to slip out easier if you move in smaller numbers.”

Ulyseon had rushed after her.

“Hold on!” he cut in, “Why should her ladyship take on such a dangerous task?”

Maxi gave him a stern look. “Tracing magic… is a specialty of wind and earth mages. As the wind mages are needed here to assist the knights with long-range attacks, the earth mages must go.”

“But—”

“I have said this before, but I am here as a mage and a member of this expedition. If you insist on being a hindrance, Sir Ulyseon, I won’t wait for Master Calto to send you back to Anatol. I shall do that myself.”

Ulyseon stared back at her woodenly before biting his lip. “I understand. Then, please allow me to accompany you.”

Maxi briefly hesitated before nodding. In truth, she was secretly terrified. Pushing away her swelling fear, she made all haste to convey Calto’s commands to the other mages. Elena, a senior mage, chose the three pairs. It was to be Maxi and Miriam, while Anette and Armin were each paired with senior mages Albern and Lucain respectively. With their partners assigned, the groups saddled their mounts and created a small opening in the barrier. They galloped through in unison.

The cannibalistic monsters stampeded forward when they caught the scent of living humans. The Temple Knights acted fast and managed to hold them off. When they opened up a path for the mages, Maxi thundered past the howling ghouls.

The monsters stretched out their shriveled, twiglike hands, and one of them managed to grasp the helm of her robe. Clinging to Rem’s neck, she barely managed to shake off the ghastly hand. She spurred Rem on like a madwoman.

Just then, a ghoul broke through the knights’ tight defense. As it lunged for Rem’s neck, Ulyseon’s sword sliced off its head.

“Go faster, my lady!”

At his urging, Maxi whipped the reins like a riding crop. Agitated, Rem reared up and kicked the monster blocking the path on the chest. Her gait picked up speed, and they leaped over the swarming ghouls.

The heavy impact of the landing nearly unseated Maxi from the saddle. She somehow managed to regain her balance, and when they were safely out of the monster horde, Miriam created a wall of fire behind them to keep any from pursuing. They rode on through the ravaged village without stopping to catch their breaths.

Soon, they reached the outskirts. Maxi halted Rem in front of the toppled ramparts. Though the area was relatively quiet, there was no knowing when more ghouls might come at them. Maxi hopped down and swiftly cast the tracing spell. It did not take long for her to locate the rune that was supplying the ghouls with mana.

Tugging Rem’s reins, Maxi darted toward the rune’s location. A dark red light glowed beneath the rubble of the wall.

“Well? Do you think you can destroy it?” Miriam said urgently, casting a shield around them.

Maxi touched the ground and tried to read the flow of mana, but the rune was too complicated for her to make sense of it. Fortunately, she did not have to understand how it worked to cut off its mana flow, negating its effects.

“I-I think I can,” Maxi replied with a nod. “Just buy me some time.”

“You best hurry, then! I’m low on mana as well,” Miriam cried out as she eyed the ghouls slowly gathering around them.

These were monsters that kept coming despite dismemberment. Maxi knew Ulyseon, who was currently fending them off, could not do so forever.

Biting her lip, Maxi focused her attention on destroying the rune. It contained an unusual pattern she did not recognize even from her time at the Mage Tower. When she infused her mana into it, she immediately felt strong resistance. She disrupted the flow by forcibly pushing her own energy into the rune, causing sparks to shoot from it and fizzle out. Maxi wiped the sweat on her forehead and let out a long sigh.

However, ten minutes later, her relief was shattered. There was an ear-splitting roar that seemed to shake the earth to its core. She jerked her head up. Out of the forest now covered in the bluish light of dawn charged three giants, their footsteps thumping the ground. The burly monsters were gray-skinned and towered at least sixteen kevettes (approximately 4.8 meters).

Frozen in shock, Maxi could not even scream.

Next to her, Miriam was staring at the monsters with an equally stunned expression. Snapping back to her senses, she cursed, “Goddammit! Quick, on your horse! They’re giant ogres!”

Maxi grabbed her reins and hopped onto her saddle. A spooked Rem reared up, promptly flinging her back off. She fought down a cry of pain as she hit the ground. Just then, an ogre came charging at her.

“My lady!”

Quick as lightning, Ulyseon abandoned his fight with the ghouls on the other side and was standing before her. A deafening roar rang over the field. Still slumped on the ground, Maxi dragged herself away a few paces. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

With only a slim sword, Ulyseon had blocked the ogre’s steel club, which seemed to be as big as he was.

“Run, my lady!” he yelled.

Gripping Rem’s reins, Maxi mounted the agitated horse once more. She clenched her thighs around the mare so she could not throw her off again and yanked the reins with all her strength. As she had been trained to do, the mare shot forward like an arrow.

Her escape was soon intercepted by another giant. Maxi managed to summon a barrier before the ogre could slam down its iron mace. Impeded by the towering earth wall, the monster let out a roar and furiously swung its weapon. The barrier cracked easily under the monster’s sheer power.

Before it could be destroyed completely, she formed a second barrier right in front of it. She tried to slip away as soon as she was done, but she turned to find a horde of ghouls blocking the other path.

“Out of the way!”

Miriam shoved her aside and summoned a massive flame. Maxi instinctively pulled her horse away from the searing heat. This time, she galloped away to the right to escape the undead that were pushing through the blaze. Unfortunately, another giant waited for her.

Ulyseon almost flew to protect her, but he was too late. Maxi felt the shadow of the massive iron mace over her head. She tried to summon a barrier, but the ogre was faster. Terrified, she squeezed her eyes shut.

Just then, she heard the sharp sound of something whizzing through the air, followed by a roar like a raging bull. Rem reared up in fright, and Maxi pulled at the reins to keep from falling. The ogre’s colossal body fell backward with an incredible thud. For a moment, Maxi could not comprehend what had happened. Her breaths came ragged as she broke out into a cold sweat.

The dust cloud that had shot up from the crumbling barrier cleared to reveal a giant javelin lodged in the ogre’s skull. After staring down at it in shock, Maxi slowly looked up when she heard clomping hooves. A black horse appeared through the dust. Stupefied, she stared at the rider’s silver armor glinting in the dawn light and dark blue, fluttering cape.

In that moment, she swore that her heart stopped beating. Even with his face covered by a visor, she recognized him right away. He yanked the chain at the end of the javelin, dislodging it from the ogre’s head, then pulled on his mount’s reins. The brawny warhorse reared almost vertically before bringing its powerful front legs down with great force.

As soon as the horse’s hooves hit the ground, the huge javelin that stretched ten kevettes long hurtled down like a beam of light and pierced another charging ogre through the chest. It looked to be a clean strike straight through the heart.

Maxi held her breath as the giant collapsed onto the ashes with an earth-shaking thud. After silently watching his second kill, the knight’s head swiveled to her. She trembled as she met his black eyes that seemed to burn through the slit in his visor.

The painful silence stretched on, searing her nerves. Finally, he turned his horse toward Ulyseon.

“Take her to safety,” he said, drawing his sword.

Only then did Maxi notice the knights speeding across the plain toward them. A white dragon on a banner of dark blue fluttered wildly in the wind. Flooded with intense relief, she let out a shaky sigh.

It was the Remdragon Knights.

Riftan was here.