Return to Jorgaldur Volume II: the druid archer

Outcome

The objective of the operation was to eliminate as many generals as possible, so the level of the area didn't matter much. Therefore, for safety reasons, they had decided to start at the level 65 area, and continue in lower ones.

In total, they reached the level 15 area before their enemies realized that something was wrong, and retreated. Some fled in terror.

In the higher-level areas, the enemies had simply been looking at each other. Meanwhile, in the areas that Goldmi had passed through, they hadn't only disposed of the generals, but had dealt a severe blow to the enemy forces.

This would allow them to advance, regain some ground, replant some areas, and have the shadows scared for years. It would take a long time for them to dare to appear on the battlefield again.

For their part, Goldmi and her sisters had risen to level 67. They might not have killed many themselves, but all of her bodyguards had received Purifying Touch, and had stayed in their respective areas slaughtering corrupted beings.

While it is true that they could have gone with Goldmi in each jump, each being that passes through the portal costs mana for whoever casts the spell. So, it had been decided that only the essential ones would cross it. That was Goldmi, her sisters and the drelf who coordinated the operation, as well as a certain fairy.

Without a doubt, the loss of more than a dozen generals had been a severe blow to their enemies, for not all the shadows were equally qualified, and it would be very difficult to replace them. However, the war was far from over.

To advance, they had to destroy part of the enemy forest, get the plants to grow back, and make them repel the miasma. They couldn't enter too far into enemy territory without being in serious danger, so they had to wait for the vegetation to gain ground.

It is true that the dryads helped speed it up, but the process was still slow, even though the opposition had waned. It would be hundreds of years before they could regain what had been lost. Besides, they knew that at some point the enemy would regroup and attempt to fight back.

All this didn't mean that it hadn't been a great victory. It gave them an advantage that they didn't have before, allowed them to advance.

They would have liked to have a big party in honor of the elf and her sisters, but it was preferable to keep her contribution anonymous. Besides, she was more concerned about going back to Elendnas. So much so that she didn't even want to wait for the drelf to be free and accompany her, although her friend threatened to visit her soon.

At 67, she had recovered Shaking Arrow. An arrow with that spell carries the power of the wind, which is unleashed on impact in the form of strong vibrations. It does practically no damage and, although it can confuse and create some discomfort in the enemy, its effect is rather low. However, when hitting a weapon, it makes it very difficult to keep holding it. Therefore, it is very useful for disarming the target. It was at 7.

The Energy Loan skill is similar to Mana Loan. It obtains energy from nature instead of mana, which must then be returned.

Her bodyguards were sorry to arrive so soon. They had seldom had the opportunity to eat so well, as there weren't as many places with magical cooking platforms or expert cooks. Anyway, they were grateful that she had given them some travel food. Although dry and not as delicious as freshly cooked one, it provided bonuses, and it wasn't bland at all.

Goldmi ran to her home. She opened the door by applying some mana, as her essence had been imbued in the lock.

"Elendnas!?" she called out to him.

However, no one answered. She searched the house, but it was empty. There was no sign of the elf.

"Where has he gone?" she wondered.

At first, she thought of waiting for him there, but she wanted too much to see him. So, Goldmi decided to take a walk around the village. She thought that perhaps he was with some friends, or one of them would know where he had gone. Probably, her sister would know something.

She walked out the door and headed for Elenksia's house, but neither she, nor Klimsal were there. She sighed. Her sisters hadn't found him either.

"Goldmi!" someone called out suddenly.

The archer turned, to find Elenksia running towards her. She was glad to see her.

"Elenksia! You don't have to run, you're out of breath..." Goldmi wanted to laugh, but the elf's face showed that she was worried about something.

"Elendnas... two... days... ago... He's disappeared..." she explained while panting.

"How? Where?" the blond elf asked incredulously.

"We... We don't know. He went out on patrol, as always, but he didn't return. Klimsal is in the forest, searching," Elenksia replied, tears in her eyes.

Goldmi froze for a while. She was trembling. Her face was even paler than normal. The thought of losing him terrified her. She was hugging Elenksia, both with tears in their eyes, when the call from her winged sister pulled her out of her bewilderment.

"I've found Klimsal."

She separated from the sister of her lover and looked at her, after trying to dry her eyes.

"I'm going with Klimsal."

Elenksia nodded. She was hoping that this elf, this visitor, might find her brother. She regretted at the time that she couldn't do more, but her abilities weren't in tracking or fighting. The red-haired elf had others just as valuable, or maybe more, but they were useless in that situation.

She could only wait. It was unbearable, but she had no choice.

It was easy to find the green-haired elf, because she only needed to follow the directions of the goshawk. Her sister-in-law was in the middle of the forest, carefully surveying the surroundings, when she turned toward them upon hearing a noise.

"Goldmi! You scared me!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean... Tell me, have you found anything?"

The huntress gave the newcomer a serious look. She didn't have a hard time imagining how worried Goldmi was.

"He was here two days ago. We all leave a magical sign to indicate that we've inspected an area, thus not wasting the time of the rest. There should be another one a little further, but there isn't. This is the last one. There're some broken branches, and traces of various people," explained the huntress.

The elf frowned. That there were several traces indicated that something strange had happened.

The goshawk was flying over the area, as she was trying to discover anything suspicious. Meanwhile, the lynx was inspecting those tracks. A couple of days had passed, so they were no longer fresh. However, there was a smell that was familiar to her, and that didn't belong to the forest.

"Vampires," she announced, thus shaking her sister.