Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Misunderstanding (III)

"They've escaped!" Melia complained, with a huge smile.

"I admit it was fun, and touching," her daughter smiled too.

"You could've told us..." Melingor protested.

"Ha, ha. Never!" his wife refused, and kissed him as a consolation.

"They seemed so happy," Eldi hugged Melia, as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Yes, finally," she sighed, and was quick to demand another kiss on the lips.

Ted and Mideltya held each other's hands tightly, between surprised, moved and even embarrassed. It had been a surprise for them too.

"What're they doing? Why're they throwing him at Bolbe?" a dryad asked, confused.

"Is it a good idea? She loves him, but he..." a limnad worried.

"She caught him! Good reception!"

"What're she confining them for?"

"Huh? What was a misunderstanding? How could it be!?"

"Ah! Look at them! They don't even believe it! It's so...!"

"Melia is very bad for not telling us. Well, at least she warned us. Maybe it's better this way. It's so incredible. What a surprise!"

"What's Bolbe doing!? Don't hide!"

"Always the same! They leave at the best!"

"Good for her... She's really made us suffer a lot."

"If we had known before..."

"It was so nice. First Melia and then Bolbe... When will it be my turn?"

"Do you think we don't know about the draconian?"

"Ah! Gossipmongers!"

"Look who's talking..."

Dryads and nymphs were discussing animatedly, clearly excited, especially the aquatic ones, the limnads. It had been a great and pleasant surprise for all of them.

They were eager for her to come out to congratulate her, and complain about her hiding. They were really happy.

Golgo caressed the incomplete Aqtlua. He had won two new fragments thanks to Gjaki and his friends. One had been held by Khan Golge himself, who carried it with him.

The other was in the city of the Guardians of the North, in a corner of a warehouse, covered in dust. If Menxilya, the apprentice prophet, hadn't found it, they might never have known it was there.

"Master, we have information about a possible fragment," one of his disciples interrupted him.

"Where? Give me the details," he looked at her hopefully.

It wasn't easy to find clues. Lately, he had been lucky thanks to other visitors, thus managing to gather a few fragments. However, it was far from complete.

"In the Amber Deserts. A caravan was attacked by bandits. In the loss count, there was a relic of unknown origin. Its description matches one of the fragments," she explained.

"Bandits... Amber Desert... It won't be easy... Who's coming with me?" he asked.

"It's team three's turn, master," she informed respectfully, although excitement could be perceived in her words.

"Get ready to go. We leave at dawn," he informed.

"Yes, master!" she exclaimed, excited.

Going with her admired master on a mission was much more attractive than staying on guard. This time, it would be teams one, two, and four who would die of envy.

"We can't allow it! Those visitors have broken the limitation!" the black dragon protested.

"So what? They have fulfilled their mission, and are legitimate inhabitants of this world. It'll be fun to see what happens next," a leprechaun contradicted him.

"Don't you understand!? What do you think is going to happen!? The vampiress has the potential that the dragon gave her! The high human has a dryad as a partner! The elf has too strong a connection with nature! They'll become too powerful! What do you think will happen then!?" the phoenix said angrily.

"We would've three more guardians? What's the problem?" the unicorn calmly answered.

"Is that not enough for you!? We can't allow foreigners to sit here! What could be worse than that!?" the kilin exclaimed beside himself.

"Worse? How about guardians who've forgotten their role and their promises? As has already been said here, they're now legitimate inhabitants. They have the same rights as everyone else, including the possibility of becoming guardians. We all agreed on it. Are you going to renege on your word? Are you going to renege on your position? This isn't going to be negotiated or discussed. It's already been done. If you don't like it, just put up with it. If you can't handle it, give up your position," the dryad was blunt, as they rarely were.

She was furious, they all were. The attitude of some guardians was unacceptable.

At her attitude, those opposed to the visitors looked at each other, somewhat uncomfortable. Although some thought so, they wouldn't have raised their concerns under normal circumstances. Even they knew that it was overstepping their boundaries, that they had no right to oppose.

Those guardians had wanted to pressure the dryads in order to get them to return to providing their products normally, without the horrible taste. The maneuver wasn't going as they had wanted.

"Calm down, please. They were only expressing their concern, they have just gotten a little carried away," the emperor of the seas asked.

Normally, he would have been on the dragon's side, but the pressure from his family had forced him to moderate. It wasn't only the taste of a certain supposed exquisite delicacy, but there was another matter that was giving him serious problems.

"I suppose you're somewhat right. It's worrying, but we dragons won't oppose," the black dragon gave in. He didn't want to make things worse

The others also gave in reluctantly. The dryads' position had been much firmer than they had expected, there was no room for negotiations. The only thing they could do was not make it worse.

"Melia has stopped producing mystical foods. They may not be at the level of the past for a while, but they won't be as... strong either," the dryad announced.

That meant that some of them would no longer be disgusting. It was a concession they had already decided to make, as Melia was too busy to continue her revenge. Now that Eldi was with Melia, they preferred to deescalate the tension. Although it must be said that she had been on the verge of postponing it.

However, they wouldn't be as delicious as they had been in the past either. For that, some guardians would have to earn their forgiveness, and they knew it.

"What about the Tears of Onuava?" the emperor of the seas asked.

"We'll have to wait for the next batch. The last tears from the previous one were given to someone who had been waiting for decades. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to receive it due to certain prohibitions," the dryad explained in an accusatory tone.

Obviously, she was referring to the vampiress. Melia wanted to have given them to her a long time ago, but hadn't been able to. She was forbidden to reveal herself until all the visitors under her charge had fulfilled their mission, or whatever they had pending in Jorgaldur.

The emperor of the seas had no choice but to accept it. A few more years of waiting was better than never.