Rukiyo continued climbing the seemingly endless staircase again, her breathing even and controlled.
Despite the supposedly strenuous ordeal, she doesn't feel physically drained— her endurance and stamina being on a different level due to the body of a dragoness she's currently inhabiting.
She moved up the steps with a steady, almost mechanical rhythm, her legs showing no sign of tiring as she continued climbing, and she could keep going for hours if that meant getting the elf on her shoulder out of the cave.
She felt responsible for his being, and frankly, she is.
She was the author of the novel where he was a victim of abuse, so it's her duty to ensure that he was brought to safety before she cut ties to all of them.
Rukiyo ascended the staircase for several more minutes, each step bringing her closer to the familiar surroundings of the hall where she started.
The climb felt just as long and monotonous as before, but she doesn't stop.
