Return to Jorgaldur Volume II: the druid archer

Buried (II)

In terms of skills, at 56 there was Vegetable Trap, which is similar to Tangle, but in trap form and with a shorter range. It asks the plants to stand by, to catch whoever passes over them. It was at 10, like other nature-related skills.

At 57, Propel consists of imbuing an arrow with great energy, which, in contact with the target, is released to push it back. It can't be used very often due to the high energy expenditure, but it can save a teammate from a critical situation, or leave an enemy in a dangerous situation. It was extremely efficient at pushing enemies from the top of walls or cliffs. She had it at 10, as it was very common to use the skill at some point in a battle, between other arrows.

Sea of Calm, at 58, calls the forces of nature to appease nearby living beings, up to five hundred meters away at 10. It can counteract anger, but not hatred or enmity, or the desire to hunt. It is also extremely expensive, thus she could use it only twice in a row at her current level.

At 59, there was Track, at 10, which allowed her to call nearby nature to share its recent memory with her. Thus, she could find out what the surrounding plants had felt, if something had stepped on, or moved them.

Grate, at 60, takes advantage of the clash of two metals, either with the dagger or the sword, to create a sharp and annoying sound, capable of surprising, distracting and tormenting the opponent. Although it is true that it also affected her, by being aware of it, she had an advantage when it came to reacting. She had it at 6, for being useful in melee fights, but not being them the most common for her. The lynx hated that skill.

Through her bond with nature, at 61, Discern allowed her to communicate in a basic way with animals, although it isn't a very good idea to use it if a huge triceratops is attacking you after you have stepped on its tail. After months of that incident, Gjaki and Eldi had still kept reminding it from time to time, while laughing. Like all nature-related skills, it was at 10.

Arrow Prison allows to launch a large number of arrows at the same time, up to forty at level 10. They surround the target, after which it can barely move. It outlines its silhouette as if it were a cartoon. If it is a person, it is likely that the clothes can be pierced, thus immobilizing them against what is behind. She had it at 4, because it didn't have many uses, apart from being a rather curious scene.

At 63, she had regained Double Block, which allows blocking two enemies at once, one with a dagger and one with a sword. It is especially striking when an attacker who comes from behind is blocked with the sword without looking at them. She had it at 7, as it was useful, but the chances she had to use it were relatively limited.

Finally, at 64, there was Colosseum, which allows blocking an area of up to a thousand square meters, provided there is enough vegetation in the place. It prevents anyone from escaping, or protects them from the outside. Although the walls aren't very powerful, it takes some effort to get out of there, an effort that can be fatal if someone is attacking you. It was at 10.

For its part, the lynx had recovered Steel Skin, a skill that hardened her already tough skin. It protected her for a few moments from most piercing or slashing attacks.

The goshawk had at her disposal Screech, which produced an unpleasant scream capable of confusing her aerial enemies, or those on the ground. Although her favorite use was to accidentally tease a certain feline with it.

Again, none of the new skills were helpful in her situation.

"Sister?" the goshawk called her worried.

She could feel that her sister was alive, but also that she was in danger. In addition, the earth had sunk under her position, that is, over her two sisters.

"We're fine, but trapped. How's the situation out there?" asked Goldmi.

"There's no danger in sight, but a big hole has appeared in the ground."

In fact, any nearby animal had fled after the roar.

"Are there standing trees nearby?" the elf asked, after thinking for a minute. "I need the shortest way, with roots that reach here."

The goshawk descended immediately, while watching carefully and flying over her sister's position. Finally, she stood on the now partially exposed roots of a huge oak tree, the leaves of which shone with a metallic blue glow, and the thickness of its trunk indicated an age of several hundred years.

"Where I'm seems the best path," announced the bird.

They could both feel each other, so it was easy to indicate position. The elf nodded. Then, she used Mana Link to transfer mana to her feline sister, so that she could safely remain hidden in her shadow. In fact, the skill worked even if there was no real shadow, which was only necessary to start it, and it was better that it would be at the end of it.

She put on a level 65 leather armor, and covered herself as best she could with Armor of Thorns. There weren't many thorns in the depths, but it didn't matter either. What she needed was protection.

With her sister's position as a guide, and while feeling the energy of the plants, she invoked Tangle towards herself.

She focused only on a huge root of the tree that the goshawk was on. The root penetrated further into the earth, so pushing the dirt against the shelter in which the elf was hiding, and forcing it to open, to fill it with dirt, to imprison her.

Her Armor of Thorns helped her withstand the enormous pressure she was subjected to, although the dirt prevented her from moving. Bubble was enough for her survival, but she could barely keep it around her head, and needed more mana than normal to achieve it.

Every second that she passed was an ordeal, in which she felt that her body was about to be crushed, in which she could not hear or see anything. She could only feel the root approaching.

The goshawk was completely silent, as was the lynx. Hiding In the shadows, she feared more for her sister's safety than her own.

They had already been waiting for several agonizing minutes, and the situation was becoming more and more dangerous. In fact, the closer the root got, the more the dirt was compressed, and the greater the pressure the elf had to endure. Her lungs seemed to want to explode.