Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Result (II)

"And let this be the last time you're so reckless! There was no need to put yourselves in such danger!" the elf lectured them.

Eldi and Gjaki stood in front of her, heads down, avoiding her strict gaze. Once they were all gathered, and she was sure they were all fine, she had begun to scold them for their recklessness, as if they were children. She had clearly been very worried.

"But..." the vampiress wanted to defend herself.

"There're no 'buts'! We could've eliminated them little by little! There was no reason for you to put yourselves in such danger! What would I do if something happened to you!?" Goldmi got angry.

Gjaki wanted to reply, but she knew her friend was quite right. The danger they had exposed themselves to was much greater than letting some losts survive. Besides, the last sentence indicated how anxious she had been.

"I've found it!" Maldoa suddenly exclaimed.

"We're coming!" the vampiress replied.

Before the elf could react, her two companions had slipped away to join the drelf. Any excuse was good enough to escape.

"They're worse than the girls," Goldmi complained.

Despite this, she followed them with a smile. She had been very worried during the collapse.

Goldmi soon joined them and Menxilya, who had stayed next to the drelf, watching her with curiosity. The elf hugged Gjaki from behind, for the simple fact that she wanted to do so, and the vampiress sighed in relief. Her friend had calmed down.

However, a warning from her winged sister reminded the archer that they were in enemy territory.

"More are coming. How much longer?" the elf urged Maldoa.

Not long ago, a vampire riding a kind of giant owl had approached to find out what had happened to the shadow. Warkmon could no longer contact the corrupted spirit, which meant that something had happened to it. It was the third shadow that had disappeared without warning.

The goshawk had Plummeted on him and his mount, Grown, and finally Collided violently into them. As they fell, she had caught the vampire in her claws and torn him apart with her beak. He hadn't even had time to report the situation.

The hasty call to his father had ended abruptly when his head had separated from his neck. He hadn't been able to transmit any relevant information. Not only had the vampire not had time, but he hadn't even understood what had happened. All he had known was that something had suddenly attacked him.

"Come in!" the drelf suddenly urged them.

She had opened a small fissure in space, and they quickly obeyed. What was on the other side seemed impossible, almost like a dream. It was a place lush with life, whose contrast with the corruption made it seem like an illusion.

They entered fast, after which Maldoa closed the scar between the dimensions as quickly as she could. They couldn't afford to be discovered.

When two vampires flew over the place on their mounts shortly afterward, they found only destruction, but no trace of what or who had caused it. Nevertheless, they stayed for days, flying over the area again and again.

The Source had a great similarity to the dryad's Origin. In fact, under the right conditions, it could become one within a few millennia.

The biggest difference was its size, as it was much smaller, and that there was no one to receive them. A strange structure created with the vegetation itself caught their attention, as it seemed impossible that it had been preserved over time. In fact, the growth of the plants was inevitable, so it had undergone some changes in its form, although not in its essence.

Unlike the usual magic circles, the creations of the dryads were alive. It was something that had not only been taken into account, but taken advantage of. Although the changes were unavoidable, they didn't cause the structure to lose its function. It may even have been refined.

Of course, not everyone could use it. Goldmi had the means and aura to manipulate it, but she lacked the knowledge. Luckily for them, they had a half-dryad on their team. However, that could wait.

"For now, we're safe," Maldoa dropped onto the grass.

It was a relief for everyone to be in that oasis of life, far from the corruption. No doubt, it was deeper for the drelf, whose essence was intimately linked to nature.

She was a hybrid between dryad and elf, which allowed her to resist corruption. However, that didn't mean she was unscathed. Every second Maldoa spent in the miasma, she felt how her entire being was attacked by the corruption. She had had to discard pieces of roots, or even whole ones, after using them in that hostile environment.

That weakened her, so now she lay down among the plants to let their aura bathe her, and heal her body and spirit. The only thing missing was the connection with the dryads. The plants were strangely silent for what she was used to.

Goldmi sat nearby, also enjoying the contact with the vegetation. She was a being loved by nature, and that love was reciprocated. She felt at home among the plants, and only her family was missing.

The elf wondered when she would see them again. The miasma blocked the magic of the Gates, so it would take a while before she could hug them again. She missed them a lot.

The lynx, Eldi, Gjaki and Menxilya also sat down on the ground. Although they didn't have such close ties to the plants, it was a more than welcome break from the corruption. The kraken was also grateful for it, although she would have preferred a place with more water, preferably salty. As for the fairy, she was fluttering around the area in excitement.

The girl looked around curiously, maybe there was even something else. Eldi eyed certain plants that were ingredients for some potions, and was wondering if he could pick some. Gjaki simply lay down for a while, until she set up her castle-tent to take a bath, and dragged all the others women with her.

Eldi had to take his out to do the same, and he also finished much faster. After all, as nice as the warm water was, he was alone.

The goshawk took a while longer to arrive. She had kept watch in the sky, observing the vampires on their mounts from above. Although they also flew, they did so much lower than the bird of prey.

It wasn't until a long time later, after reporting the attitude of their enemies, that she returned to his sister through Always With You. There wasn't much else to see, and the food was ready.