Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Fight at the foot of the mountain (III)

The losts had lost their commanders, but that didn't stop them from continuing to attack the shield. Given the strength of their numbers, it didn't take long for them to destroy it. Only the aerial ones, which had been ordered to wait, remained hovering over them. Of course, their generals couldn't give them the order to attack anymore.

"Inside!" Menxolor ordered shortly before the shields fell.

The Guardians of the North entered the cave, whose interior had been enlarged enough to fit them all. They did so in an orderly fashion, as if they had performed this operation often. Indeed, they had.

Thick mana barriers covered the entrance, which protected them from their enemies. Since they had to protect a much smaller space, and fewer enemies could attack at once, it was possible for them to hold their position for a long time. Perhaps, it was a bit cramped, but they had been in worse situations.

The corrupted beings gathered at the entrance of the cave. Some began to burrow into the ground, to try to dig towards the living. However, the Guardians of the North were prepared for such an eventuality, as the barriers didn't only cover the entrance.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, the guardians were defending and the losts were attacking. Meanwhile, the corrupted beings were crowding more and more, all wanting to swallow the cave and its occupants. Often, they crushed each other.

It was then that a vibration began to be noticed, and was increasing in intensity, as well as a sound that was getting louder. The Guardians of the North tensed, somewhere between worried and excited.

The losts, on the other hand, continued to attack the entrance. Nothing mattered except killing the living, not even the falling rocks down the mountainside.

Eldi had been taken by the goshawk to the top of the mountain. A large detour, and the call of the corrupted beings to gather, had prevented them from being seen.

The high human had been using Weightlessness to reduce his weight, which allowed the Grown albino bird to maneuver more freely. Once they had reached their destination, she had ascended again, and waited for her sister's signal. Now, she was attacking the corrupted flying beings. They were awaiting the orders that would never come from the deceased shadows.

With the shadows and vampires dead, a Wind Blade had crashed in front of the battle mage's hideout. He had gone out, taken out his binoculars, and waited for his enemies to gather. Then, he had summoned an Avalanche.

The Guardians of the North had gone to the foot of the mountain without knowing exactly the plan, only that there they could finish off their enemies. When the sound of the rocks falling reached them, they understood that this was part of said plan. Until then, they had believed that the word "Avalanche" was metaphorical.

The corruption and the lack of vegetation had eroded the mountain, which had caused the presence of a large amount of rock that could roll down the slope. This had led to increased mana consumption, but also even more devastating effects.

The army of losts was buried under several tons of rock as the result of the devastating collapse. Despite this, some had survived, but their numbers had been more than decimated. Furthermore, even fewer were left unscathed, only those who were further away.

Maldoa, Gjaki, and the lynx began to attack the nearby losts without delay, while advancing towards the cave, which was now also buried. Goldmi shot at those further away, while the losts tried to advance in that direction. They had orders, and they had to follow them, even if some rocks stood in their way.

Eldi was going down the mountain as fast as he could, and with the occasional help of Balance to stay on his feet. Thanks to the skill, he could take fewer precautions. He finished off the badly wounded enemies that appeared between the rocks without much opposition, and a pair of aerials ones that the goshawk had shot down by damaging their wings.

When they found themselves in front of the cave, all the remaining losts had been annihilated, and only Goldmi remained to arrive. The girl had been left in the safety of the Source, with food and some illustrated books that had belonged to the twins.

The truth is that it was difficult to understand the existence of a girl of about a hundred years old. She looked and behaved like a child, but occasionally she showed the knowledge and experience of her age. Somehow, being a prophetess had a strange influence that it would still take time to master.

The elf walked towards them without haste, as she knew that her presence wasn't immediately necessary. They had won the battle, and now all that remained was to rescue their allies. What she didn't expect was for a strange corrupted snake to come out of nowhere.

Its level was 97, and its existence was a great danger. It could camouflage itself, to the point of hiding its aura. Life Detection had failed to catch its presence, and in the midst of the corrupted area, Thousand Eyes didn't work. The skill needed the help of the plants, which didn't exist there.

While alive, it had possessed an extremely dangerous poison. The corruption had changed its nature, but not diminished its danger. In addition to its toxicity, it now also spread the corruption.

What hadn't changed was the unpredictability and speed of its attacks. It wasn't easy to react in time to dodge or block them.

The shadows had left it there, near their previous position. It wasn't a corrupted being valuable in the joint attack against the living, but it was for ambushes. If any enemy approached them, they would suffer the consequences.

The sudden appearance of the dangerous lost reptile would have been a great danger for any of them, but it was certainly even more so for the archer. She was a specialist in ranged attacks, not melee.

"Goldmi!" the vampiress shouted from a distance, but there was nothing she could do from there.

Eldi and Maldoa, who were moving the rocks, turned worried, in time to see a dark shadow lunging at their friend.

The lynx Jumped in the direction of her sister, even though she knew it would take too long to arrive. Sensing her, the goshawk also Plummeted towards her. They both knew they were too far away, but they couldn't stop trying. Of course, they could use Always with you, but the spell would be even slower.