Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

Over time

Gjaki was pleasantly surprised when Goldmi showed her a green gem. It confirmed that they could be found in the beginners dungeons. So, it didn't take long for her to contact the other visitors she knew. Smashy had found some yellow gems that she gave her without thinking twice.

Merlin, for his part, had looked no further than the last boss. He had turned around after beating it. As for Crushy, he hadn't even entered his dungeon.

Therefore, Gjaki went to said dungeons to investigate, and discoverer that she couldn't enter them. Only when Merlin accompanied her, she was able to pass. Somehow, it seemed that each visitor had exclusive access to one of them.

Given their level, a beginner's dungeon was a smooth ride for them. Even the bosses weren't challenging, they only need to not spend too much mana. In fact, a Blood Hound was more than enough for them to calmly chat while following it. Even Lina accompanied them, curious.

"Ah, well, there really was a tunnel," Merlin marveled.

He somewhat cursed having to go through that tunnel, although he marveled at the small room. Merlin spent some time studying the exit circle, while Gjaki and Lina chatted and ate.

"It looks a bit like the ones from the Portal spell. Maybe, I could create one... I'll have to experiment," he told himself.

Gjaki was looking at him with some admiration. The sick boy she had known had no doubt grown up, and had become a scholar in magic circles. The best news was that they had obtained some pink gems.

Smashy and Crushy accompanied her to the dungeon of the latest, in which the vampiress hardly had to do anything. Like huge muscular children, the siblings enjoyed crushing the weak mana beings. Although they weren't the only ones. Gjaki had the opportunity to meet two of her husbands and his wives, who were just as brutish as the siblings.

However, she was the only one who reached the small room, because the barbarians who tried it got stuck. They had to be pulled out by the legs, midst laughs. Unfortunately, she obtained again a yellow gem that she already had.

Over the next several years, Gjaki wandered through various dungeons, but she found nothing interesting except in the beginner ones. However, to enter them, they needed the help of other visitors, so they were attentive to news about them.

Most of them collaborated without any problems. They were even excited to be able to contact other visitors, to share experiences with another native of their world. A few asked for a payment in return, and there were even those who didn't want to collaborate.

There was even one who demanded sexual favors in exchange for his help. He made Gjaki so angry that he ended up leading the way for free after suffering a monumental beating. Perhaps, not a sound bone was left.

After finding out about it, Smashy obtained a terrible poison, a secret that was only known by the most prominent women in her tribe. Gjaki secretly located the visitor again, and put it in his food. When he realized that he had become impotent, it was already too late. Although there was a cure for it, finding it without knowing its causes would be very difficult. Even more, when he didn't want to acknowledge the problem.

There was also another visitor who wanted to betray Gjaki. She believed that the vampiress' level was really what she was showing. The visitor wanted to torture her, make her hand over all her belongings, and then kill her.

Gjaki had no mercy. Since she had wanted to rob and kill her, the vampiress decided to repay her in kind. First, she turned her into a Servant. She then forced her to hand over all of her belongings. Finally, Gjaki disposed of her, and left the visitor's body to be turned into mana by the dungeon.

In the end, they had managed to get six of the seven gems, and many duplicates. She supposed the missing one was blue, but it was of little use if they couldn't find it. Even worse was that, in all those decades, they hadn't gotten a clue as to how to use those gems, or about other cures. They hadn't stopped looking, but they had run out of ideas.

At least, Goldmi and Elendnas had gotten used to their life. The elf couldn't be away from him for more than a day, although she had prepared some emergency units, just in case. They were metallic-looking spheres into which she had poured a purification spell. Nonetheless, she had only managed to obtain eleven spheres.

Other than that, they could live normally. Like visiting Gjaki's mansion, Merlin's castle or the hospitable barbarian villages. Of course, they were hospitable as long as you were a friend.

They had barely called the elf for help against the corruption, despite having offered through Maldoa. Only when someone could provide transportation, for example Gjaki, did they dare to call her, and only for one day.

Elendnas couldn't get close to the corruption, since something inside him reacted negatively, and made him sick. The higher ups were forbidden to stop her from being with him. It was part of her fate, and they weren't allowed to interfere.

Still, several generals had fallen to her arrows over the years, albeit at the price of a mysterious elf being suspected. They, too, had reclaimed quite a bit of terrain from the corruption, but there was much more to be reconquered, to be released.

"Aunt Gjaki," the old goblin greeted.

The vampiress was in front of a grave, kneeling. She wasn't crying, but the sadness on her face could be seen.

"Tida! It's good to see you," Gjaki smiled gently, although she didn't stop feeling depressed.

"Have you had a fight with Chorni again?" Tida inquired.

"He doesn't want to be converted. If he doesn't, he'll continue to age. I don't want to lose him too!" she finally burst into tears.

"Mommy and Daddy lived a long life, and they were very happy. All thanks to you. You can't blame yourself," the goblin consoled her.

"I can't help it. I miss Tilli a lot," she continued sobbing.

Tida hugged her. She missed her parents, too, but she had assumed that was the way life was. However, while not immortal, the vampiress' lifespan was much longer. Leaving her friends behind when she was still young was too hard to take.

Chornakish's race had a lifespan greater than goblins, but much less than vampires. He was a centenarian, and seemed to be in his forties, while Gjaki had barely aged.

She stayed crying for a while longer in the old woman's embrace, and then said goodbye to her. She watched Tida return to the village with some sadness. Gjaki had known her as a baby, and she knew the goblin didn't have many more years left. Although she didn't want to lose her too, there was nothing she could do. None of them had wanted to be a vampire, to stop being what they were.