Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

Back to the Beginner's area

Goldmi looked at the stuffed spider that was on the floor. She sighed as she picked it up. Gjaki had given it to her daughters, but also as a joke against her. The elf didn't like spiders, especially if they were several meters long.

"I'm not afraid of you," she threatened the stuffed animal, and gave it a gentle punch in its face.

She smiled at her own childish attitude. The elf then carefully placed it on Eldmi's bed and left the room, while listening to the strange silence that filled her home.

The girls and Elendnas had gone out, and she had remained, waiting. When the Gate alarm went off, she knew her wait was over.

"They're here," she called to her sisters.

The lynx stretched on the couch. The albino goshawk spread her wings, and left her soft bed on the stomach of her four-legged sister.

"Ready?" Gjaki greeted her.

"Hi, Goldmi. Are you alone?" Eldi greeted her.

"The twins are in an excursion with other kids. I had to kick Elendnas out. We can go whenever you want," she responded.

"Well, let's go then," the vampiress created another Gate.

"Oh, it's just like mine," Eldi observed.

They were in the vampire beginner's village. All the villages looked exactly the same in the game, and it seemed like it was the same there. In fact, no one other than Gjaki could enter, unless they were invited by her.

Eldi approached the tables where the Oracle was sitting. He had been somewhat surprised to find them there, as if they had never moved. Although, this wasn't the high human's village.

"Are you the same one who was in my village?" he asked.

"There is only one self, even though there may be more than one," they answered.

"Just as cryptic as always. I don't know why you bother. Hi again," the vampiress greeted them despite her words.

"Welcome to your village, Blood Queen," they returned the greeting.

It irritated her to talk to them, but she was also grateful to them. Although not always clear, their advice had been valuable.

"Hi again. It's been a while," Goldmi also greeted.

"Welcome, friend of the fairies. The time is just right. The wheels of destiny always turn at the right speed," they responded.

"What do you know about the Valley of the Dead?" Eldi asked.

"They remain there, those who want to die and can't. They deserved their punishment, but perhaps it is time to give them rest. It is something that can only be achieved with light magic. Be careful, the essence of the living is for them like honey for flies," they warned them.

The vampiress raised her eyebrows. She had the impression that they were less annoying than on other occasions. She decided to try her luck.

"What do you know about Kan Golge?" she asked.

"He is an ancient evil that should have been extirpated from the world long ago, but whose shadow still haunts and corrupts it. His life or death is a mystery, which one day must be solved," they answered, without thinking about it, as if they knew the answer in advance.

"What about Melia?" Eldi asked, although without much hope.

"The answer is still the same as last time. You still have unfinished business," the Oracle explained.

There wasn't much more to talk about, so they soon said farewell to the Oracle and set off. The place wasn't close, so Gjaki expected that she could recover enough mana along the way. She also had to find some suitable place to place gates, since she didn't want to always have to travel the same route.

They arrived at the Sacred Spring a few hours later. They were often attacked by the undead, although they were nothing more than a slight annoyance. At levels 95 and 100, beings below level 20 weren't a problem.

In fact, even if they were bitten, they would barely notice anything. In the event that the zombie infection passed through their skin, they could easily resist it even without Goldmi's help. With her and her purifying magic, it was child's play.

Gjaki took a sip of the water, but her mana didn't fully recover. Apparently, it wasn't as effective when the level was too high. Therefore, she would have to wait to get it back, since that low-level area wasn't capable of filling what she had invested in opening the gates.

Meanwhile, the goshawk perched on the branches of the tree that grew above the spring. With her beak, she made a couple of ripe fruits fall, something somewhat exceptional. That tree only bloomed once every many years.

They had made a detour because Gjaki knew it had blossomed. She had checked it weeks ago, when Eldi had given them the ingredient lists. All the visitors with Portal had visited their respective springs, and only hers was close to bearing fruit. Now, they had one more ingredient.

They stayed to lunch in that dream place. Well, it was unless they looked on the other side of the barrier. Several undead were approaching, attracted by the scent of the living.

So, when they came out, they had to take care of them. Like the previous ones, those undead were purified by the elf's magic. Following the Oracle's suggestion, they were finally granted eternal rest.

As they went north, the level of the undead increased, as did the density of mana. Although it wasn't corrupted, that didn't mean that the place wasn't gloomy, even for the vampiress. The stench of death was everywhere.

Anyway, it wasn't as bad as when they reached the top of the hill. Before them, a large valley appeared. It had witnessed a cruel and massive battle in the distant past. Corpses had piled up throughout the valley, as well as the essence of death.

What they had left behind were the areas of previous and subsequent skirmishes, but there it had been the bulk of the battle. It was inhabited by many high-level undead. They had been consuming their fellow undead over time, thus becoming stronger.

Few dared to visit the place, because the essence of the living attracted the dead. It was easy to find oneself surrounded by more and more enemies. It was even rumored that some of them had gained consciousness, or perhaps recovered it, if they remembered who they had been.

"My sister says there're some caves over there," the elf reported.

"Let's go".

They needed a base of operations, a place to place a gate. The vampiress had put some along the way, but it was better if they had one closer. That way, they could come and go comfortably. They weren't worried about being surrounded.