Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Ambush

"Father, a group has left from village nine. There're almost fifty. They're all covered in capes and hoods. One of them could be a child," a vampiress reported.

"Half a hundred? Wait for them to move far enough, and execute plan S," Kan Golge ordered calmly, although inside he was quite excited.

It was what he had been waiting for. That group fit his target. If his suspicions were confirmed, he would have the future he had always dreamed within reach.

"Prepare an assault team to go to area nine at any time. There're fifty, so I want three times as many. There can be no mistakes, no one must escape alive," the ancestral vampire ordered again.

"Yes, father," another vampire answered.

The group advanced cautiously, in silence, observing the surroundings. They seemed uneasy, afraid of being discovered.

Suddenly, two huge marbled wild boars appeared, rushing in their direction. The cyclops jaguar that was following them turned around immediately, after sensing the power of the group. Without a doubt, it was a perfectly understandable attitude, since the succulent prey wasn't enough to lose its life.

The wild boars, however, didn't stop. It was known that, in case of a stampede, they wouldn't stop for anything. There had even been the case of falling down a ravine.

For its part, the jaguar had appeared long enough for them to see it. Thus, they wouldn't suspect that that encounter was more than a coincidence. The big cat was controlled by his trainer, and it had done exactly as it had been ordered.

As for the wild boars, they had been captured some time ago. They were kept healthy and alive, until they could be sacrificed for the sake of the mission. If for whatever reason it had been cancelled, they would have been sacrificed for the sake of a good dinner.

Two members of the group stepped forward to confront the wild boars. One of the animals was cut in two, and the other incinerated. The difference in level was too high. Immediately, the two attackers made sure they were completely hidden under their hoods again, and continued on their way. They completely ignored the remaining corpse.

"...purple skin, two horns pointing up. One used a vertical spear technique that emits a pulse of energy forward. He broke it cleanly in two. The other, a Fireball of a color tending towards purple. It burned it completely. Only ashes remained," the vampiress reported.

"Good job. Keep watching them. The reinforcements will arrive soon," her father ordered.

For a moment, he smiled, like the vampire hadn't in a long time, as he communicated with another son.

"Objective confirmed. Contact Dricna, she knows the exact position. I want results," Kan Golge threatened.

"Yes, father. We're leaving immediately," the vampire obeyed.

On the outside, Kan Golge looked the same as always. There was calm and authority in his orders. Inside, he was exultant, impatient, anxious. He had finally located them, when they surely believed they could try to counterattack. He wasn't going to let them escape.

The group continued to advance, still cautiously. They seemed nervous, and remained silent. The most disturbing thing was that the jungle was quieter than usual.

Suddenly, the earth beneath their feet gave way, thus engulfing them all at once. They fell on sharp spikes and powerful spells, which triggered out one after another. From above, a multitude of figures three times their number appeared surrounding the hole. They cast lethal spells against their prey.

It was impossible for the travelers to react to the unforeseen and lethal attack, which completely annihilated them. Everywhere, purple blood could be seen, as well as pieces of legs and arms that had detached from their bodies.

The attackers were unfazed by the bloody scene. They stood watching, while one of them Hovered down to what was left of the body of a purple girl. From it, he tore off a necklace she had worn around her neck.

He smiled. The necklace matched the description, so his father would be satisfied. Without a doubt, he would reward them. The attack may have been overboard, but it had served its purpose.

"Father, I have the necklace. It was worn by a purple girl with horns. They were all the same race, except three elves," the leader of the assault command reported.

"Excellent! Bring it right away!" he demanded, for once unable to contain his excitement.

That surprised his son for a moment, although he was quick to congratulate himself. Perhaps, the reward would be better than expected.

They buried the bodies where they were, simply by covering them with dirt, and by adding a spell to disguise the terrain. It wouldn't last long, but it would be enough for them to disappear. They wouldn't leave any trace, not even of the temporary base, so as not to give any clues to their enemies. Perhaps, those would never know what had happened, and they would ignore forever how the guardians of the north had disappeared without a trace.

Although, if they discovered the corpses, it would be too late. Even if they suspected the identity of the murderers, it wouldn't matter anymore. They couldn't find them.

After that, they headed to the outpost where the teleportation circles were. This time, only the wearer of the necklace crossed it, since they had spent too many resources on the way there. The others would have to wait their turn, without forcing the circles.

He passed through five intermediate bases and two magic circles before reaching the main base. There, his father was waiting impatiently, although he tried not to let it show. He couldn't help but imagine the future, in a few months, when he would have completely absorbed the Eternal Flame gem. Finally, he would have more than enough power to confront his enemies directly.

"Father," the vampire greeted and knelt when he arrived at the office.

"The necklace," he required.

The vampire took it out of the bag and presented it with both hands. Kan Golge used Telekinesis to bring it to him. He had a smile from ear to ear that his subordinate could not see, as he was looking at the ground.

He didn't care about the blood they had spilled, the lives they had taken. The only important fact was that he finally had before him what he had been waiting for decades.

Kan Golge took it in his hands, at which point his smile froze.

"Shit!"