Return to Jorgaldur Volume II: the druid archer

Two gnomes and a rat (I)

They arrived at the new camp in time for breakfast. Soon, they discovered a common subject in many conversations. Apparently, the Lost Forest had changed in recent days, not just there, but across the front.

The losts hadn't disappeared, and they were even more abundant, but all traces of will, of order, of planning, had disappeared. As if the forces behind them had retreated or, as many feared, were lying in wait, planning something.

The changes had perhaps been subtle, but many of them had been there too long to be unaware. The corrupt beings were now scattered, they no longer formed small groups that complemented each other, they didn't hide waiting to ambush them.

It is true that there were still some like that, but they were disappearing little by little. It was like no one had the will to replace them, just to send some of them to the front, without care, without orders, without a purpose. Therefore, there was a lot of caution. Everyone was wary.

The two looked at each other, without saying a word. They understood that the other was thinking something similar. That the generals must have been worried about the loss of several of their kin, so they had retired.

"So, we've scared them," the lynx scoffed

The feline was nibbling on what looked like a bone, but was actually a caramel treat. The elf had designed that shape so that it wouldn't seem strange to see her sister eating it, and had created it with her own hands. From then on, her assistants had been able to duplicate it without issue, even change the ingredients. Although they were very skilled at fulfilling orders and following recipes, the little goldmis were incapable of creating anything new on their own.

It should be said that the lynx didn't care too much about the shape or what others thought. The only thing that mattered was enjoying that minty flavor.

There was also a smaller version, in the shape of a stick, with which the drelfa was charmed. Also, it gave a small bonus in magic power, unlike the bone, which improved the power of skills.

They joined a group of three that in principle were only going to support, but who, with the new incorporations, decided to go and exterminate corrupted beings. It consisted of two warriors and a mage, who was capable of granting some blessings.

Long ago, Mostruf, a kind of muscular ratman, would have been very reluctant to admit them into the group. He felt disgust towards such terribly hideous beings as the elf and the drelf, but his time on the front lines had helped him get used to other species. They still looked terribly ugly to him, but he could bear it.

He wielded in each hand a weapon with two slightly curved blades and a hilt in the center, which joined the blades. One of them was sharp and the other serrated, which was well suited to his strange abilities.

Goldmi found the being extremely outlandish, even absurd, while the drelf and the lynx didn't pay much attention to him.

Gavlda was a gnome mage, very shy as most of her people. She had even asked permission from each of them before granting the blessing that gave them defense. She had even asked again before granting them the attack one.

Gavldo, her brother, was an exception among their people in many ways. On one hand, he didn't stop talking. On the other hand, he was a warrior. Although small, powerful muscles were hidden under his armor, and the range of the spear served to compensate for his short stature. He also carried a small shield and a sledgehammer, which, coupled with his size, could make him an impregnable fortress if he found himself in trouble.

"I thought it was going to be another boring day, keeping watch, but we can finally exterminate some losts," he exclaimed enthusiastically, to his sister's adoration.

It was incredible to her that he could be so confident in himself. For others, not of his race, he could even be reckless in battle, and somewhat a nuisance outside it.

As for the elf, she wasn't bothered by the gnome's attitude. It is true that he wasn't silent, but also that he was terribly honest, that there wasn't the slightest malice in him. In a way, he was refreshing. So much so, that a hidden fairy was watching him curiously.

Once in battle, everyone was much more serious, even Gavlda, whose shyness didn't prevent her from charring a huge cockroach. It was almost half a meter in length, highly resistant to physical attacks, but vulnerable to fire or electricity.

Mostruf, who was level 44, was deadly against all those losts who weren't armored, although even against these he had some resort. The serrated blades, coupled with Purifying Touch and the Saw skill, could inflict considerable damage on the most powerful defenses.

Gavldo, although less lethal, was highly elusive. He annoyed and resisted his enemies, thus facilitating the task of his companions at the front, or those attacking from behind. Such as his sister, with whom he shared a mutual understanding. There was also Goldmi, whose aiming was amazing to them.

Together with the support of the lynx in the front and the drelf behind, they had no great problems in the face of the scattered forces of the losts, although danger always hovers in the battlefield.

It was the fifth day they had fought together, and they already understood each other quite well. The feline, covered in fire, was attacking a being similar to a reindeer, although larger and its body covered in poisonous spots. The poison was nevertheless unable to pass through the flames.

Mostruf took advantage of the moment to attack with his two weapons at the same time. He cut off part of the antlers and pierced the head. Bad luck would have it that a piece of antlers fell right behind Gavldo, who was recoiling from the pressure of a one and a half meter tall beetle. He tripped over it and fell to the ground, backwards.

They had found a group a little larger than usual. Five of them still remained, one of whom was about to succumb to the feline and the ratman. Two were near collapse due to the elf's arrows, the flames from the gnome and the occasional help from the drelf.

The gnome warrior was blocking the beetle and a kind of horned one-eyed alligator. They weren't very powerful in attack but highly armored, so it was better to eliminate the most dangerous first, and let them be entertained by him.

However, the stumble put the warrior in a very dangerous situation, unexpectedly defenseless against the two beings. They took the opportunity to pounce on him.

"Gavldo!" his sister screamed. She horrified at what was about to happen, and was unable to come to her aid without charring him as well.

Mostruf and the lynx were still busy with that dark reindeer. They only needed a few seconds to come to his aid, but those seconds were an eternity.

The drelf, for her part, couldn't undo her disguise and cast a spell fast enough, and she needed a spell that wouldn't harm her ally. It would have been different if they had been to be in a normal forest.

No arrow of the elf could penetrate the defenses fast enough either, for they were already too close to their victim.