He only blinked when he felt the cold he was feeling decrease. At the same time, Eryn turned away in silence. That was when Kael noticed the young man's cloak now draped over his own shoulders.
His hand moved on its own, catching Eryn by the arm. "What about you? I already have my cloak. And if I'm cold, I can use my spare priestly garments inside. I appreciate the gesture, but you will catch a cold if you don't cover yourself. Here, take it back."
Kael was about to remove Eryn's cloak, but the young man stopped him at once. Eryn caught his hands over his shoulders and held them there for a moment longer than necessary. Kael's brows furrowed in confusion.
"I'm used to cold places," Eryn said. "I also have a higher body temperature than others. See, you can feel it, can't you?" He gently squeezed Kael's hands as if to prove his point.
Kael did feel his own hands warmed. Because of this, he had a ridiculous thought, and his eyes involuntarily moved to Eryn's body.
"Besides, your spare cloak is now our blanket, and your spare clothes are going to be our covers," Eryn added. He took the blue robes from the basket and gave one to Kael, then he lay on his back, using his left arm as a pillow.
Kael just watched him. Back when he was in service, whether in formal discussions or simple conversations, he always had something to say. He often took part in debates as well, and never had he met someone who bested him in a war of words. But with this young mercenary, there were moments when he couldn't find the right words to say at all.
Eryn grinned and straightened his right arm on Kael's side and offered, "For tonight, I will allow you to use this warm pillow."
Kael was unsure whether to laugh or sigh. "Well…since you offered, I'll take you up on that," he said dryly, fully expecting Eryn to yank his arm away the moment he got closer.
He fixed the covers over his body first, before he leaned down, elbow first. However, he was just a breath away from letting his head rest on the young man's arm when—boom!
An explosion!
The ground rumbled beneath them like a rolling beast. Kael jerked upright just as the tremor shook the flat rock, scattering loose pebbles down the slope.
A distant explosion lit the edge of the horizon in a quick flash of orange. The night became daylight for a second, but the flash wasn't caused by lightning.
In an instant, the two were running down the slope. Eryn was tugging the weary horse while Kael led the way, not away from where the explosion came from, but heading straight toward it.
Kael's heart was pounding. The direction pointed at the gates of the dwarven kingdom. The tremor still echoed faintly underfoot as they ran. By the time they reached the place, the flames from the explosion were gone, but the surrounding mountain walls, which had stood the explosion, were scorching.
Kael caught his breath. The smoke was dispersing, and they expected the remains of the dwarven kingdom once it disappeared, but what welcomed them was just the twisted, blasted gates of the kingdom.
The explosion occurred outside, not within it.
"Someone blew up the gates. They probably couldn't wait till morning to enter," Eryn commented.
Kael hopped over the shattered slabs of rock that lay scattered across the ground. He went closer to the entrance to inspect. It was scorched black. Beyond the gates was darkness. Kael couldn't see past it even when he adjusted his eyes.
"Priest Kael," Eryn called. Kael glanced at him over his shoulder. "I don't want to say this, but… do you think this has something to do with what you came here for?"
Kael stiffened. His gaze lingered on Eryn for a moment, pondering, then he slowly shook his head.
"I was sent here under the temple's orders. If they had already dispatched someone to retrieve the relic, why send me as well? The most plausible reason is that I'm here to check on the first party. But the scroll was entrusted to me…which means, I'm the only one who can do the task."
Eryn's gaze moved to his waist with an unreadable expression. Kael unconsciously clutched the scroll beneath his robes. A sense of dread prickled down his spine.
"Then, if whoever forced their way inside was targeting that relic too," Eryn said, "shouldn't we be going after them?" He tossed the reins carelessly, and yet, the loop landed perfectly around a nearby boulder.
Kael's eyes flicked toward the dark tunnel yawning beyond the ruined gate. The path into the dwarven kingdom lay wide open now, and whoever had done this was already far ahead.
The best course of action was to follow.
Kael pinched the bridge of his nose as his head throbbed. Trespassers were the most despised by the dwarves, especially humans. If they entered uninvited and were mistaken for part of the attack, the dwarves might refuse to hand over the relic altogether.
Still, better it remained with the dwarves than be stolen by whoever did this, Kael thought grimly. With that, he turned to Eryn and said, "We're going in."
Eryn took the lead, sauntering through the gates in a relaxed manner. Kael followed behind, checking the scroll beneath his cloak from time to time. For a moment, he let his gaze drift to the young mercenary, observing his demeanor.
Normally, anyone stepping into an unfamiliar realm would show some trace of awe or curiosity, perhaps pause for a minute to take in the surroundings.
But Eryn walked ahead without hesitation, as if he already knew the way. The road may have been straight, leading to a single destination, but still, something about the young man's composure felt oddly out of place.
Having thought this, Kael could not help but ask. "Eryn," he called, "have you visited the dwarven kingdom before?"
Eryn answered without a pause, "I haven't." He glanced briefly over his shoulder. "Why do you ask?"
Kael hesitated, debating whether to share his observations. But since the young man had already given an answer, he decided to drop the matter. He simply shook his head and thought, If I trusted him with the horse, then I should trust him from now on, too. Besides, believing him on one thing, then doubting him on another, feels unfair and insincere.
"Nothing," Kael murmured after a while.
Eryn gave a small nod. He looked ahead, and then a few moments of silence, he spoke up, "Priest Kael, so where does this path lead exactly?"
Kael paused. The way Eryn asked didn't sound like he was interested in the answer, but he was just simply asking out of habit, like he knew it was the normal thing to do when entering an unfamiliar realm.
"I know it leads to the dwarven kingdom, but which part are we exactly heading for? The plaza? A hall? Oh, wait, does this kingdom have plazas or rooms?" Eryn added nonchalantly.
Seeing that the young man was still pretending, Kael sighed in spite of himself. Perhaps Eryn truly hadn't visited the kingdom, but it was a kingdom that fascinated many humans. Countless records and illustrations existed in books, especially in children's stories. Maybe Eryn had read one of those.
Kael replied, "Of course they do. They live much like humans, though their way of life differs. This path leads to an alley. Once inside, we'll need to find their leader, or as humans call him, the dwarf king."
The entrance was like a long tunnel dug into the earth, but the path was neither dusty nor uneven. It was solid and smooth, as though the earthen walls were bound by a spell.
As the two ventured deeper, the path gradually brightened. Torches mounted high along the walls began to appear, casting steady, golden light. The path widened, and then the mountain opened.
The two stopped at the mouth of the tunnel for a moment, gazing in awe at the grand kingdom of dwarves. Before them stretched a vast, sunless realm carved into the heart of the mountain. Glowing crystals the size of carts sprouted from the cavern ceiling like luminous stalactites, casting a twilight glow over the city below.
Down below, from where the two were standing, lay a maze of homes sculpted directly from the mountain walls, stacked together like the cells of a beehive. Some windows were lit, some were not.
The cavern ceiling loomed at least a hundred meters above. In the distance, a palace-like structure made of hardened soil stood. Kael assumed that must be where the dwarven leader resided.