The storm whipped their hanging bodies.
A bottomless abyss opened beneath their feet, waiting to swallow them.
Maxi looked down at the misty ravine, dazed, before looking up.
The dense blizzard made it impossible to tell how far they had fallen.
“Put your arms around my neck,” Riftan said in a muffled voice.
All she could do in response was blink rapidly in terror.
"Now!"
Roused from a trance, Maxi shuddered and wrapped her shaking arms around him.
Her entire body was tense as a rock, her neck muscles so tight she could feel her pulse racing through her bulging veins.
As if afraid he might drop her, Riftan pressed her against him in a suffocating one-armed hug, while his other hand felt for the wall.
Eventually, he grabbed hold of an overhanging rock.
He pulled them up and managed to gain a foothold.
Having secured them both on the cliff side, he tightened his arm around her.
The storm was gaining speed.
Maxi could barely see what was in front of him.
Burying her face in his neck, she began to sob silently.
Riftan whispered what sounded like comforting words into her ear, but she barely registered his words.
Nor did he seem to be completely aware of what he was saying.
"Hold on a little longer.
It's okay.
The mages should bring us back soon.
We just need to hold on until“"
A snow avalanche collapsed from above.
The hook that anchored them to the wall gave way in the avalanche of snow, throwing them into the abyss.
Riftan's gauntlet scraped against the stone as he frantically searched for support, to no avail.
Clinging to her neck as if she were drowning, Maxi desperately tried to cast a levitation spell, but the rebellious mana inside her refused to bend to her will.
Summoning all the strength she could muster, she finally managed to control her wayward magic.
They were mere inches off the ground when they began to float.
Riftan promptly fixed the hook to the wall and deftly lowered them to safety.
Surviving the fall was just one of his problems.
The avalanche still posed a threat, pouring in waves of debris and snow from above.
Maxi threw a barrier as the darkness swallowed them.
Heavy pounding continued outside the protective bubble for a while.
She couldn't feel anything.
So much so that she wondered if they had died from the fall.
The pressure in her ears left her deaf, and she couldn't even hear her own breathing.
Petrified, she clung to Riftan until she felt him slowly sit up.
He climbed out of the pile of ice and pulled her out after him.
After a coughing fit, Maxi expelled the snow from her nose and mouth, then shook the snowflakes out of her hair.
With the snowstorm still battering their faces, however, their efforts were in vain.
She looked at Riftan, his face pale as death.
He had his arm wrapped around her as he looked at the rock wall they had fallen from.
Unlike him, she couldn't discern how far they had fallen.
After staring for a while, his expressionless expression revealing nothing, he lifted her into his arms and began to advance through the snow.
Maxi noticed that he was looking for a place to take shelter from the snowstorm.
She managed to open her frozen jaw.
“I-I can… cast a barrier to block the wind“”
“Don’t talk,” he said sharply, increasing his pace.
Although she wanted to make the offer again, she chose to keep quiet when she realized she was almost out of mana.
Still, wandering aimlessly until they found suitable shelter didn't seem like a sensible option.
She fumbled in her pockets, anxiously taking in her surroundings.
The fire stone lying against his chest was no longer hot, his mana had been sucked away by the rune.
She threw away the useless stone and shrugged.
Riftan promptly covered her with his cloak to protect her from the wind.
The tireless search continued until they came across an opening in the rock face.
Setting Maxi down, Riftan went inside to inspect the cave first.
Soon after, he waved to let her know he was safe.
The entrance was so narrow that she had to crawl on her knees.Inside, the cave opened surprisingly wide.
Maxi let out a sigh of relief and sank to the floor.
The fact that it protected them from the gale made the dark cave look like a palace.
Leaning against the wall, Riftan took a moment to catch his breath.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“I-I’m not sure,” she said, shaking her head dazedly.
She was probably bruised all over from the fall, but her body was currently so numb that she felt no pain.
He examined her for broken bones before asking hoarsely, “What about the mana exhaustion?”
"I-I'm fine.
I've used most of it...
but I'm not completely exhausted," she replied, her teeth chattering from the cold to the bone.
Taking off his gloves, Riftan touched his icy cheek.
He frowned.
“Do you have any more fire stones?”
“N-in my balls.”
Only then did she think to check if her belongings had survived the chaos.
To his surprise, his bag was still hanging around his waist.
Riftan untied it and began rummaging through its contents.
Bundles of herbs and food, bound scrolls, and a bag containing several magic stones fell out.
Maxi picked up a fire stone and placed it at a safe distance.
A spark lit up the darkness as she infused the stone with a point of mana, and a flame large enough to serve as a bonfire began to burn.
She settled right in front of her, but found that it wasn't enough to thaw her frozen body.
With a groan, she reached her hands closer to the flames.
“You’re going to get burned,” Riftan said, pulling his arm back.
She looked at him imploringly.
“I-I’m cold.”
There was a subtle change in his expression.
Sliding his hand beneath her clothes, he stroked the back of her cold neck and let out a muffled curse.
His lips trembling, Maxi watched as Riftan quickly took off his cloak and armor, piling them aside.
He then took off his thick coat and woolen tunic and spread them beside the fire.
Maxi stared in astonishment at his muscular torso shining like bronze in the firelight.
He looked like a madman, taking off his clothes in the numbing cold.
After removing his boots, he threw them away and nodded.
“Take off your clothes.”
“N-no!” Maxi screamed, mortified.
She grabbed his tunic, but he unceremoniously snatched it from her hand.
"Your clothes are damp from the snow.
If you don't take them off, your body heat will decrease much faster, so hurry up."
Maxi looked at him suspiciously.
Although she was certain he would never do anything to hurt her, she couldn't bring herself to undress.
When she remained still, he pulled her onto his lap and removed her boots.
He tore off his tunic and tossed it unceremoniously into a corner.
Finally, he unbuttoned his coat and slid his hands inside.
She recoiled from his icy touch.
After removing his belt and placing it on the floor, Riftan dove into his robe and caressed his icy skin without apologizing.
Your cheeks flushed as his warm, calloused hands roamed your hips, thighs, and calves.
Even though she had been naked in front of him countless times, it was still embarrassing.
She remained on his knee, and he pulled her to him in a tight hug.
“Are you still cold?” he asked, his voice softer.
Pressing herself against his chest, Maxi shook her head, ignoring the fact that her teeth were chattering from the cold.
As he continued to tremble, Riftan gave a low groan and went from rubbing his stiff back to pulling at his layer of chemises.
She instinctively grabbed her underwear, but he was already pulling them off her head.
He immediately covered the exposed area with his own robe.
Her skin brushed as he wrapped his arm around her waist, sparking her senses back to life.
The heat of his smooth, burning skin penetrated her bones, and she felt the blood coursing through her veins.
A relieved moan escaped her lips as she melted into his arms.
Despite other worries invading her mind, at that moment, she felt unconditionally safe and content.
She pressed her forehead into his shoulder, burying her face in his broad chest.
Their bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.She listened to the wind and the crackle of the fire as she stroked his arms, chiseled chest, and stomach.
Beads of sweat began to form on his skin.
She traced her fingers down his sculpted marble chest and teased his small nipple.
Pressed beneath her buttocks, she felt his hardened member grow larger.
After taking a labored breath, Riftan moved her to the side and ripped her hand away from his chest.
“Stop this useless caress.”
Maxi's face flushed with embarrassment.
"B-but didn't you do the same?
I-I certainly...
felt your hands...
on my hips, my stomach...
legs, feet..."
“I was making sure you weren’t ge-”
Riftan pressed his lips together, then banged his head against the cave wall, muttering under his breath.
From what she could make out, it seemed to be the prayer recited in a chivalric ceremony.
After watching him for a moment, she slowly brought her hand to his chest.
“So… y-would you like to cuddle me too?”
Riftan clenched his jaw as she pressed her firm palm to his chest.
His black eyes burned like glowing embers in the darkness.
Maxi blushed when she felt her nipple twitch, and she wondered if she was being too forward.
In the end, her desire overcame any shame or inclination to maintain her dignity.
Perhaps the brush with death had ignited something, as his touch was hotter than ever.
It seemed like an eternity since she had touched him.
She longed for the happiness of exploring every inch of each other.
If they didn't survive this dangerous expedition, this could be their last moment together.
A paralyzing fear settled into his bones at the thought of this.
When she brushed her lips against his neck to dispel it, he felt a feverish tremor run through his body.