Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

Murderous impulses (II)

Despite the hardness of the bones, they disappeared like the other undead. They turned into dust, and were claimed by the wind.

"What's this?" Eldi asked, as he was looking at a kind of small stone.

"Don't you recognize it?" the vampiress was surprised.

Eldi was the one who had the most knowledge of materials of the three, due to his professions. If it were a cooking ingredient, Goldmi was the one more knowledgeable, and Gjaki about clothing making.

"No idea," the high human admitted.

That meant that he didn't have any recipes in which that strange stone could be used. It was completely round and polished, blackish, perhaps dark brown, and of a metallic sheen.

"Keep it. Maybe, we'll find out another time," the elf suggested.

"I guess it's the best we van do," he shrugged.

With some distrust, he put the axe under the stone to pick it up. Since Purifying Touch didn't react, it seemed safe. After storing it into inventory, he even found it a bit disappointing. It was nothing special.

"Two more are coming. Zombies," the albino bird warned them.

Goldmi repeated the warning, which put them on alert, not without some concern. Their mana reserves were dwindling. If it continued like this, they would have to flee.

Meanwhile, the specter whispered between angry and happy.

"They're strong enough for Shining Bones. Well, maybe soon. It's not fair. I saw them first. Why does he have to be the first to die? I don't know if they're enough for me. I'll wait. If I can. Oh. The twins have become impatient too. Let's see. Although, it's not fair. I want to die too," he was speaking to himself.

He wasn't the only one with similar thoughts. More than one had been tempted to attack them, to try to die. Nonetheless, the zombies had gone first. If others went, they would end up fighting among themselves.

Those two zombies were a special case. They went together without killing each other, something unique among those who had gained sentience. Because of this, they were called twins, although they didn't look alike.

The twins were slower than the skeleton, but faster than other zombies. They didn't hesitate to cross the Light Wall that the elf had raised for them. The Light Abysses under the Wall were triggered, as they become trapped in Gjaki's threads.

"They won't last long," the vampiress warned.

Although made of adamantine, the threads needed a place to anchor. The vampiress had used rocks and the walls of the cave, but these supports had already suffered the struggle of the skeleton. Now, there were two zombies, and these are always stronger than a skeleton, although slower and clumsier. Therefore, the threads were beginning to come loose.

Eldi pierced them with his spear and Tearing Sting. Gjaki took the opportunity to stick a spear made with Light Blade in the hole. Meanwhile, she was Grabbing them with the whips of light, to try to make them move less.

The lynx was Shredding them apart, helped by Purifying Touch, and wishing she could put on her nose the clothespin that the twins had given her. She hated that smell. Her fire aura was also burning them, which at least prevented the remains of rotting flesh from getting stuck in her fur.

As on the previous occasion, Goldmi was launching arrows to create Light Traps, thus adding purifying power.

"They're freeing! Eldi!" Gjaki exclaimed.

The high human took out a huge shield and cast Great Guardian. It increased his affinity to shields and reduced the damage received. He also cast Insurmountable, which made it impossible for his enemies to pass him.

The zombies rushed forward. They ignored the threads embedded in their flesh, but were met with a shield they couldn't overcome. Not even the head that one of them threw was able to surpass the tough defense.

"Meeeeaat... Deaaaaath... Reeeeesssst... Meeeeeaaaaaat..." the zombies repeated.

Their appearance was pitiful even for zombies. The purifying power had taken its toll on them, thus causing part of their skin and flesh to fall off and disappear. In one of them, their entrails could be seen, and it was fortunate that the purifying power also took care of the stench of their putrefied bodies. Otherwise, it would have been totally unbearable. Well, for the feline, it already was.

Gjaki was attacking from the side with a whip of light when one of the zombies Exploded. The explosion threw its rotting flesh and blood at her.

There was no place to run from the impact, as the zombie's insides were going in all directions. She was sure that she could resist that undoubtedly toxic substance, but she really had no intention of testing it. Therefore, the vampiress quickly dropped the light whip and wielded a real one.

The projectiles weren't too powerful. The danger was in the toxic nature of their contact. So, Dancing Whip was the ideal skill to counter them.

A few seconds later, the only area near the vampiress free of the toxic substance was a small circle around her.

"It's disgusting," she complained.

She put the whip away to clean it, while watching the substance slowly try to come together again. A zombie capable of using Explosion could rebuild itself from the remains, even though it might seem impossible.

"Goldmi! Purification around me!" the vampiress shouted.

The elf approached to launch some Light Blasts, which killed the zombie. In that state, it was practically immune to physical attacks, but very vulnerable to purification.

"Explode, die," the other zombie murmured, before also Exploding.

This time, the vampiress realized in time, so she could hide behind the shield. The signs of the skill were clear once they had been seen once.

The remains of the zombie expanded and covered the shield. Eldi simply made it disappear, as Gjaki had done before. Goldmi took care of the remains.

"They really wanted to die. It blew itself up when it saw that the other had died," Gjaki was amazed.

"Maybe, the specter told us the truth. Even so, they're dangerous," Eldi assessed, while picking up the polished stones that they had also left behind.

"More are coming. Several zombies are approaching," Goldmi warned at the request of her winged sister.

"How's your mana?" Eldi asked.

"A third," the elf reported.

"Be prepared to flee through the Gate," Gjaki warned.

She was the one with the most mana. Goldmi was the one who spent the most, and Eldi Loaned to the elf. Furthermore, the vampiress had to make sure she could open a Gate in case of emergency.

Therefore, Eldi created a hole with Mole's Power inside the cave, and they waited, as well as were ready to get out of there. If they could hold them and kill them, the better. If not, the group would return when they had recovered their mana.