Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Darwen power

Eldi added blessings to the mole-beings, while Goldmi was left waiting, alert in case something happened. According to Gjaki, during the trip, she had already had too much prominence.

A Frozen Prison was enough to trap the toads that hadn't fallen into the trap. Furthermore, the cold of the bars caused lethargy in the amphibians, and the difference in level made it impossible for them to escape.

In short, they were easy prey for the mole-beings, who could test their skills, and level up safely. Their level was lower than the toads', but the blessings, Area of Attack and the quality of their weapons were enough to finish off enemies who could no longer defend themselves.

"There's no immediate danger on the other side. The ceiling is really high, Azi has plenty of room to fly," the vampiress reported after deploying a second batch of Bats.

Without wasting a moment, an excited goshawk traveled through the narrow tunnel at high speed. She was really tired of being underground, and the vampiress's words were undoubtedly more than welcome.

She gained height as soon as she left the nexus, moved away from the wall, and reached almost the ceiling. It certainly wasn't the same as flying in the open sky, but much better than the last few weeks. Well, not counting when they returned through a Gate, and she could "stretch her wings" over the jungle.

Goldmi stood still, observing through the eyes of her winged sister the aerial view of the city. Most of the buildings were still standing, as if they were awaiting the return of their rightful owners. Although, that wasn't what they were interested in now, there would be time for it.

It must be said that the bird could only observe the upper level, since the city had several levels. However, it was enough for now. They were on the outskirts, and the multilevel structure of the underground city didn't reach there.

"There're some toads coming. For now, they're scattered, at least a dozen," Goldmi reported at the request of her sister.

"Leave them to us. We haven't come to do fucking tourism," Trelka offered.

The three companions looked at each other, and decided that Goldmi and Eldi would accompany them. Gjaki would stay there while she waited for the mole-beings to execute their enemies. In addition, a little Gjaki was collecting their remains. The threads were responsible for holding the toads, so it was better that she stay to control them.

The dwarfs spread out at the exit of the tunnel, in front of to the rock wall, next to Eldi, Goldmi and the lynx. After that, a dwarf mage cast Be One with the Rock, which covered them in a thin membrane of mana.

"You look like rock," the albino bird admired.

Even knowing they were there, she couldn't see anything but rock. It was a visually perfect camouflage, although it only worked next to rocky surfaces.

Several toads arrived, but they didn't dare to cross the nexus. They could hear the pained cries of other toads at the other end of that tunnel.

"It's the last one," the goshawk reported.

An instant later, a Light Arrow rose into the sky, thus giving the signal to attack.

War Cries erupted from several dwarfs. They doubled their speed and strength, and intimidated their enemies. They were more powerful than Eldi's blessings, and affected a group of five, but their duration was barely ten seconds.

Stalagmites emerged from the ground, one even sticking into an unfortunate toad. Most of them though only hit and blocked them. They created chaos and hindered them.

Before they could react, the dwarven warriors had arrived. Those in the back wielded spears, axes, and hammers Those in front carried large rectangular shields that easily blocked several Licks and Spits.

Goldmi and Eldi were amazed to see the dwarfs fighting. Those who used spears and attacked from the gaps left between the shields weren't surprising, although deadly. What they didn't expect was that others would be Catapulted by their companions.

As the shields, spears and Stalagmites had attracted the attention of the amphibians, said dwarves fell among them. They were imbued with Safeguards that would protect them from the first attacks. Perhaps, the strangest thing was that the dwarfs who had been thrown were also wearing heavy armor. Not even the high human, who had seen them fight in the past, had expected something like this.

Under each of those dwarfs, a small crater formed that extended a few meters. It had been created by Brutal Landing when they reached the ground. The force of the impact pushed nearby enemies back, and was also preparation for the next skill.

Without wasting a moment, they launched themselves with Cannonball towards the toads while wielding their weapons. The dwarfs were also preparing the skills with which they intended to deliver a first blow that could be definitive.

"They're a bit rough," Eldi murmured, amazed.

"I hope they really are as tough as they seem," Goldmi worried a little. Those dwarfs didn't seem to care about defense.

"They are, and so are those armors. They are designed especially for this type of attacks," the high human explained. He was indeed an expert blacksmith.

He had been puzzled at first by the different design of the armor, and now he understood its function. Even the helmets were pointed. They were designed to be used as another attack weapon.

The fierce charge of the dwarfs caught the amphibians off guard, as they found themselves attacked from several fronts. Furthermore, unlike the dwarfs, they weren't used to fighting in groups, to coordinating. They weren't used either to face hard metal armor, or the synchronized attacks of their enemies.

Only a few dwarfs suffered some blows, which barely had an impact on their armor. They hadn't given their enemies time to react, nor shown any weakness that they could take advantage of.

"Ha, ha. This deserves a damn beer. It was fucking perfect," one of the dwarfs bragged.

"Ha, ha. Fucking toads. They haven't given us a damn fight," another boasted.

"At least, they'll make a fucking soup," a third suggested.

However, even though they were celebrating, they kept looking around, and at the elf. They knew that she was in contact with the goshawk, which was monitoring the surroundings. What Goldmi announced next wasn't the best news.

"They're gathering in a building. They must've detected something. I think that they're preparing to defend there."

"We have no choice but to wait for the others," the battle warrior shrugged.

"Master, do you have recipes for toads?" Trelka asked.

Curiously, when they spoke to Goldmi, they did so with an almost reverential respect. After all, she was a master brewer who could create drinks that were thought to have been lost.

"Let me check... Yes... Toad stew with centipede sauce. I see various soups, barbecues, a few fried foods..." she began to list.

When she looked back at the dwarfs, she could barely hold back her laughter. Most of them had taken off their helmets, and were salivating.