Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Chased (I)

"There're generals," Merlin informed the commanders.

After seeing the miasma replenish, the conclusion was obvious. In fact, obtaining that confirmation was one of the reasons why the purifying projectiles were launched with the catapults. The other reason was to cause as many enemy casualties as possible, and give their own troops a break.

The cat mage wasn't the only one who transmitted that information. On each of the battle fronts, that same situation was happening, which showed that their enemies had taken this invasion seriously. There were generals on all fronts, which meant that their battles weren't going to be easy. It also meant that their mission was succeeding.

"Be patient. It's still too early for the Decapitate plan. But be prepared, in case someone goes crazy. We'll notify you to try to coordinate it," they responded from the command center.

"We'll await your message," the visitor ended the transmission.

He then returned all his attention to the battlefield. The awakened were succumbing, and the miasma-free zone was disappearing. Their rest was about to end.

"They're surrounding us!" the purple woman shouted, while casting a Glacial Hell.

The spell froze everything in front of them, including the losts. This allowed them to gain time, as they slid down the icy passage.

It wasn't the first time, and they were well-equipped. They skated quickly, thanks to the boots they wore. A mana blade had appeared underneath, which was very useful for traveling on ice. Eldi had made the boots for them, inspired by those of certain twins.

"Are you fine?" her sister asked the guardian who had cast the spell.

"Yes, but tired. I almost have no mana left, I won't be able to do it again," she replied.

"We're almost there. Damn it... They're really persistent," one of her companions cursed, while casting a Fire Net.

Some corrupted beings were swooping down on them, and the Net was ideal for receiving them. Apart from burning their aerial enemies, it coiled around them, thus making them lose control of their flight.

During all these years, they had been preparing for their return. Sometimes, with hope. Other times, out of tradition. Sometimes, out of stubbornness, as they refused to accept what seemed then the only possible reality, that they would never return. Since Eldi's arrival, since the creation of the necklace, they had returned to their practices with more dedication than ever.

"Watch the left flank!" shouted Menxolor.

"I'll take care of it!"

Some Wind Unicorns pounced on the corrupted beings that were coming from there. Some had slipped when crossing the ice, but they advanced anyway. Others, like an enormous corrupted spider, dug their legs in, which pierced the ice with each step.

The mana beings faced the newcomers. The creations could hardly defeat them, but would hold them for a while. What they needed now was to buy time.

In the rear, they alternated between traps, holes and walls to delay them. They only resorted to lethal attacks when one managed to get past their defenses, as it was more costly.

That was the case when what had been a Rainbow Anaconda appeared. Now, only shades of gray remained of its long-lost bright colors. It had arrived there on the back of a corrupted rhinowolf, which had stopped dead when the ground beneath its front legs had given way. The corrupted snake had shot forward.

After realizing that it was approaching the living, the snake had opened its mouth to swallow them directly. Unfortunately for it, in front of its targets, a huge Bowsprit had appeared, which the snake had swallowed instead of its original prey. With Propel, the same hammer skills as Eldi's, they had sent the snake several meters into the sky. There, the Bowsprit had Detonated, and destroyed the snake from within.

They had been escaping for a few hours, as they had done in the past. Just like then, the enemies had been increasing over time. The problem was that they had been doing it much more quickly than then, which was endangering their plans. Without a doubt, their enemies were alert, prepared for possible incursions like theirs.

Probably, if an infinity of enemies weren't on other battlefields, this would have already ended, for the worse.

"Here it is! Clear it! Defensive perimeter!" Menxolor ordered.

Those who were without mana were inside the formation, which extended around the rock wall. Powerful Elemental Walls rose before them. They were aiming to buy more precious time.

These were complicated spells that mixed a multitude of elements from several individuals. The mana fibers intertwined and reinforced each other, instead of annihilating each other, as it had happened in the first attempts many years ago. Despite the enemy's numbers, the Walls should buy them some time.

"They've built a mana fortress. They're plotting something," Kraro muttered.

It didn't want to give them time, so it ordered its subordinates to open a path. The shadow approached carefully, right behind two huge corrupted cyclops it used as bodyguards. Immediately, it pushed the miasma against the Walls.

At the same time, a group of corrupted gorillas moved forward to hit the barriers. It also ordered the aerial ones to dive from the sky, and those which could attack at range to do it. It wanted to break that protection as soon as possible.

"That shell won't protect you for much longer..." it threatened, with a sinister smile.

Meanwhile, the Guardians of the North hurried on with their task.

"Will it open?" one of them asked, worried.

"The passage of time and the miasma have deteriorated the engraving. She has to repair it, and connect it to the interior. Give her time," a guardian explained.

The sweat on his mother's forehead was a sign of the evident tension she was under. It was a precision job, which she had to carry out under great pressure. If she failed, everyone would die there. Perhaps, her people would lose their last hope.

With one hand, she went over the old engraving she had made appear. Going deeper into the rock, the woman were carving the details that the passage of time had eroded. With the other hand, she engraved complicated mana runes, which were embedded in the rock. Very few were capable of such precision work with two hands.

She needed the runes to resonate with the magic circle inside, study the reaction, and modify the engraving accordingly. At the same time, she was activating the resonance that would open the mechanism.

She was focused on her work, without time for anything else. When a corrupted cormorant swooped down on her, she didn't even see it. Luckily, she wasn't alone.

Her companions were protecting her. Right now, nothing interrupting her was essential. Even those who were tired and out of mana were holding shields over her head.

"They're corroding the Walls with the miasma," one of them cursed.

"Prepare the second line," Menxolor ordered, in a lower voice than usual.

He didn't want to distract her for anything in the world. Although, to tell the truth, few things could do it. Anyway, it was difficult to guess if she would succeed in time.