Return to Jorgaldur Volume II: the druid archer

Escape (II)

The only advantage they had was the presence of the roots, so the elf decided to see how far they could hold the ants. They came up with a quick plan, which depended on how effective those roots could be.

They advanced. The dryad was on the feline's back, while Goldmi was shooting. She was trying to create a path that would lead them to the exit, to the ants that were plugging it. It was dangerous. If the roots were strong enough, they could hold back the ants. If not, they would have no choice but to back off.

The idea was to use Tangle to hold them back, and Nature Wall to keep them out, perhaps along with Twister. Meanwhile, they would deal with the ones at the exit. Afterwards, they would try to reopen it one way or the other.

But first, they had to eliminate and weaken as many as they could. So, with her last damaged arrows and some mana ones, she attacked the ants that stood between them and the exit.

After leaving the dryad at her sister's feet, the lynx also lunged at them while covered in fire, so attracting the attention of most of the insects. Despite that, about ten enemies headed towards the archer.

She let them get closer, since she had stopped in a place with a high concentration of roots. So, the elf kept attacking the ants that her sister was fighting against, as she was trying to blind them.

The lynx was trying to attack their legs, but there were too many. It was enough for her to dodge, to only be hit, to avoid suffering serious damage. Her skin and fur protected her, and the fire damaged her enemies when she was hit, but the blows accumulated.

As she attacked, Goldmi kept an eye out for the approaching ants and her sister. She was waiting for the right moment to use Life Link.

One of the ants lost its balance when a second leg was severed, so falling on another one, and giving the lynx a break. A nearby ant was blinded by a Wind Arrow. The feline Jumped on it, and dodged an Acid Spray, while the other ants were getting too close to the elf. She put the bow away, scooped the dryad up, and cast Tangle.

As usual, she felt the connection with nature, with the roots, to which she was transmitting her request for help. However, this time something different happened. Suddenly, an imposing force broke her link with the roots. In front of it, hers was like an old raft at the mercy of a raging ocean.

It was a huge, furious force. She felt how that force enveloped her, how its fury suddenly subsided, and how a sense of relief spread through the plants.

An incredible vitality surged through the roots, which made them move with seemingly impossible speed and force, like tentacles.

They held the elf tightly, but also extremely gently, and also a surprised lynx. They raised them to the ceiling, to the confusion of the ants.

It seemed that they were going to be swallowed up by the earth, that they were going to be buried alive. However, the earth itself opened to make way for them, to allow them to be carried to the surface, where the sudden appearance of sunlight blinded them. It may have been weakened after passing through the dense sea of leaves, but it was still far more bright than the soft glow from the Light Arrows.

She could feel the roots carefully leaving them in the ground, and returning to the depths. The earth closed again behind them, but the connection with that immense power didn't disappear. In fact, it was not a single power, but the sum of the power of a number of dryads impossible to determine.

"She is very weak! She has lost a lot of blood, they took it from her. I have it stored, in case it can help..." Goldmi informed, still with the dryad in her arms.

"Leave her on the ground. Leave her to us. You have already done more than enough. We will be eternally grateful," several voices spoke at the same time, although in a single voice. It is something difficult to explain unless it is experienced by oneself.

She obeyed, and set her down on the ground. She felt then as if an invisible energy arose from all over the jungle. Each plant was donating a pinch of its vitality to create a huge river that flowed into the dryad, a river from which two tiny threads were shed.

Elf and lynx noticed how their wounds were closed when said energy was absorbed in their body. However, the elf noticed something else, she noticed how her connection with nature was reinforced. All her skills linked to nature not only went up to affinity 10, but even got stronger. She had saved a dryad, and the forces of nature recognized her.

In addition, not only Vegetable Home, Oasis, Naughty Branches, Natural Wall, Alarm, Obstacles and Ring of Thorns had risen to 10, but she could feel that all those related to nature that she hadn't yet recovered were too.

Also, their level had risen to 50, thanks to the help of that energy. Sure, it could have boosted them to 100, but that was the most the dryads could offer without breaking the balance, without breaking their promises, without breaking the contract.

Goldmi looked into the distance. She felt a calling, as did her sister. For now, however, they sat. They were watching over the dryad as the energy was partly absorbed by her, and partly it simply passed through her, while purifying her body and returning to the jungle.

Around her, stimulated by that energy, vegetation grew at a speed visible to the human eye, or, in this case, to the elven and feline eyes.

Beautiful flowers were opening, as showing their reverence to the dryad. Branches grew on the trees and leaves sprouted from them, in her honor. The fruits were ripening. Grass grew around the dryad, and under her, so creating a soft cushion. The sweet fragrance of the jungle was more evident than ever.

Finally, little by little, her eyelids opened, thus revealing two beautiful green eyes. She sat up slowly, and looked up at the elf and the lynx, while giving them a beautiful smile.

"Thank you," she said, in a voice that sounded like the whispering of the forest.

It is true that she had been unconscious, but her sisters had told her how much they knew. Among other things, who had saved her.