Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

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"Sister... Are you sure you want to take charge?" the dryad wanted to make sure.

"Of course. Leave it to me," Melia assured. Not very good intentions could be sensed from her.

"You know there're strict rules," the other reminded him.

"Of course. I'll fulfill them s-trict-ly," Melia confirmed.

"As you wish..." the dryad sighed, and she wasn't the only one.

All her sisters knew that Melia was up to something that wasn't going to sit well with some powerful beings. In fact, they had some suspicions about what she was going to do. Although, they didn't know how far she was going to go.

Despite this, they let her do. She had the right to do so. Besides, if she was the one who carried it out, they would have a very difficult time reproaching her for anything.

"Well, let's get to work," Melia said to herself. Her smile contained resentment, mischief and ferocity.

"Gjaki!!!" Kilthana shouted, undoubtedly upset.

"Kilth, you don't need to shout. I can hear you perfectly on the phone," the vampiress asked.

"I don't need to shout!? I don't need...!? Why the hell you didn't notify me immediately!?" the countess continued shouting.

"This... There were so many things that I..." she wanted to apologize.

"I see, you forgot," her friend and de facto regent said with apparent calm, before bursting out again. "How could you forget something like that!? Do you know what you've done!? I have half the merchants asking what we're going to do, when, what're the guidelines for trading with Engenak! I've had to lie to them, and tell them I'm talking to you!"

"Ah... So soon? I didn't even say anything explicitly..."

"Gjaki!!! That served as an excuse the first time! But it's not the first time!! Get off your ass and come here right now!!" the countess demanded.

"But... now..." the Blood Queen wanted to slip away.

"NOW!!!" Kilthana demanded, before hanging up.

"You deserve it," Coinin accused her.

"You should already know that it was going to happen," Chornakish reproached her.

"Sigh... At least you could support me..." Gjaki complained, visibly depressed.

"You better go right away, or she'll get angrier," her friend reminded her, while trying not to laugh.

"Good luck," Chornakish kissed her on the cheek.

"Sigh... Where're there a couple of rebellions or ambushes when one needs them," Gjaki complained. "Tell Eldi to go ahead, but he has to pick me up in a couple of days."

After those words, she entered the Gate, head down and resigned. The next few hours weren't going to be easy for her.

"Poor child. Maybe, one day she'll learn to not be such an airhead," the rabbit vampiress pitied.

"I've already lost hope," Diknsa intervened, with a compassionate smile. "I'm going to prepare some sweets for her for when she comes back."

"Ha, ha. You spoil her too much," Coinin accused.

"Oh. I had thought about cooking you a special carrot stew, but I guess that would be spoiling you too much. Maybe another day," the devilish vampiress lamented.

"I was kidding! I didn't mean it! Please, Diknsa!" Coinin begged, while following her to the kitchen.

Chornakish looked at them while shaking his head. Then, he turned to the spot where the Gate had disappeared and sighed. Although she had asked for it, he felt sorry for his beloved. He would make sure to spoil her as much as she wanted as soon as she returned. Although, probably, it wouldn't be soon.

Luckily, although Kilthana had sounded a little exasperated, he knew that she was a good friend. It was only that sometimes she was stressed by the extra work that Gjaki caused her.

Tica finished the mana potion and sighed. She was done for the day, although more than making her happy, it depressed her a little. She had wanted to make more potions of level 40 and above, but they barely had any ingredients.

Lately, thanks to the better equipment and potions, they had managed to advance, to reconquer tunnels that until now were too difficult. That way, they were getting higher level ingredients, which allowed her to make those potions. However, there weren't many of them. At this rate, it would take her forever to raise her alchemy level to 5. That wasn't the worst though. Training that level would be even more difficult.

The warriors needed to level up. To do this, materials were needed for potions, for weapons, for armor, for jewelry. The necklaces made of flattened snake teeth were beginning to prove insufficient, as well as the armor made from their skin.

She then looked towards the two forgotten platforms. If there were tailors, they could increase the power of the magicians. If there were special meals, they could temporarily increase everyone's power. However, her teacher didn't have those jobs. He had already achieved much by making the impossible possible.

No doubt, the contact with other mole-people had also helped. Materials were exchanged, and they collaborated in the exploration and liberation of tunnels.

"I shouldn't complain. We've improved a lot," she said to herself. "But I wish it could be a little faster."

Despite having finished, she stayed a while longer watching Cato finish an axe. The child was even worse than her, he had barely reached level 2.

The reason was simple. He was still a child, so he didn't have enough mana to make higher level recipes. Furthermore, he needed to rest often to recover mana in order to make more pieces.

They often took him to level up, but he still had a long way to go to reach the level of Tica herself. At least, the rest breaks didn't bore him, since he wasn't the only child there.

Of course, they had had to make it a rule that they left the room when they weren't working. The kids were a bit noisy when they started playing.

She turned toward a door in the distance. She wondered if he would ever return. He may be ugly, but she really liked his teacher. He was kind and patient, and he had changed the fate of her people.

"Thinking about Eldi? You know, Lito is going to be jealous," the old woman mocked.

"That annoying... At least, now he takes his training seriously. Maybe, we can make a good warrior from him," the alchemist sighed.

"Oh? It's the first time you've paid him a half-compliment. Maybe, he still has a chance! Should I propose a meeting?" she mocked again.

"Stop laughing at me. He wants to date me and a hundred others. He doesn't even deserve to be looked at," she criticized him. "I wish there was someone a little more like my teacher, but not as ugly."

"Ha, ha. You want a lot. He's someone exceptional and..."

Suddenly, the old woman shut up and turned towards the door that Tica had been looking at.

"What's happening?" the young woman asked.

"The alarm spell has been triggered. Something has failed, or he has returned. Come, let's take a look," the old woman came forward.

Tica followed closely, excited. She wanted to see her teacher again, no matter how ugly he was. Surely, he could teach her new recipes.