Return to Jorgaldur Volume I: the battle mage

Fleeing (I)

After the execution of the Countess, he had gained one level and more than half of the next, so he was at 29 and had unlocked Sleepyhead's Shield. It is a spell that forms a static shield over a not very large area, camouflaging itself with the surroundings, and preventing the detection of who is inside. In addition, if it is damaged, it triggers an intense reaction capable of waking its owner up from his sleep. It is the perfect spell to rest in a dangerous area, and it was like a joke in the game, because it had no use. However, now it wasn't like that. He had it at level 2, and he wanted to level it up as much as he could, since it last an hour per level of compatibility. Although activating it needs a lot of mana, so it would take long to level it up.

Now, he also had Protect, a skill that shares the damage an ally receives with oneself, getting half of what is done to the protected. He had used it quite often, both with Gjaki and Goldmi, and so it was at 10.

Dina was still trembling in his arms, but she exclaimed with joy when she saw who had just arrived.

"Dina!"

"Daddy!"

He handed the girl to her father, who hugged her with tears in his eyes, ignoring for now the corpse that was laying there. That his daughter were fine was all that mattered, the world could wait.

Meanwhile, Eldi was searching the room. The only interesting thing he found were letters about surveillance in the Sapphire, Emerald and Ruby forests to find an unspecified target. It wasn't hard to guess that it was him. Apparently, the war had begun before he knew about it.

"My name is Eldi," he introduced himself when they had calmed down.

"I'm Dina!" The girl exclaimed, which made both of them smile.

"My name is Galdho," the father introduced himself, shaking hands, but not letting go of his daughter.

"I would like you to explain exactly what is happening here, but first we have to find a safe place. Tell me, what are you going to do?" Eldi asked.

"We had come from afar for a fairly good temporary job offer, to teach some apprentices, and then return home. I didn't expect..."

"So, if I can get you out of town, can you come back home?"

"There would be no problem if I had my weapons and some food, but I don't have anything anymore," Galdho, who was only covered by a sheet, lamented.

All his belongings had been confiscated and his clothes were totally destroyed. He had no idea where they were, or how to get them back. Not even if they hadn't been simply sold.

Eldi thought that he could take some of the count's clothes, but the luxury of those clothes could bring problems, besides they weren't of his size, so he gave him underwear that he had in the inventory, and his armor level 20.

The hunter looked at him somewhat bewildered, but he put them on, surprised by the quality of an armor that fitted him automatically. It was a skill that wasn't usually in armor whose level was below 50. However, that one had it. But he was even more surprised when Eldi handed him a bow, a sword and a dagger, as well as arrows. Everything was of high quality, something that even the nobles would have difficulty in getting their hands on at that level, which made him speechless.

"Wait a minute," Eldi asked, while the girl was touching her father's new armor with curiosity.

The hunter leaned out, not letting his daughter look inside the room. To his surprise, Eldi was engraving a mark on the countess's head, a mark that wasn't at all unknown. He hadn't realized that another one had also been engraved on the count. It was a mark that few in the kingdom didn't know about, something he hadn't imagined when that man had said his name, but, in a way, now all made sense.

"Are you Eldi Hnefa?" He asked in shock when the man closed the door behind him.

Eldi nodded, worried about what troubles it could bring. But father and daughter looked at him with adoration.

"Really!? Are you that Eldi, the hero?" The girl exclaimed.

"Now it's not the time. We must get out before someone sounds the alarm," he replied, although he patted her head.

"But you could..." Galgho began to say, but was interrupted.

"I still haven't regained my power. It could be dangerous if we don't leave soon," he settled the discussion.

Without letting his daughter go, and following who was a hero to all commoners, he kept watching him. It was true that his level wasn't too high, although impressive, since he had just returned a few weeks ago. And that fact he had saved them, that he had risked going there without being at his peak, made him admire Eldi even more. He would be eternally grateful. Although that wasn't what he thought when the hero drove them down the forklift.

"It was so fun...!" The little girl was giggle excited, but her father covered her mouth, and gestured with his finger to keep quiet.

She nodded, after which her father withdrew his hand. And both, he and Eldi, had to make efforts not to laugh at the girl's attitude, which was clenching her mouth tightly as she had done before with her eyes.

Eldi went out the kitchen door to take a look, checking if there was anyone. But, when he was going to call them to follow him, a man in his sixties opened a nearby door, and his eyes met Eldi's.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He demanded.

He was dressed in a military uniform, had drawn his sword and, what was worse, his level was 51. Eldi couldn't expect to beat him in a fight, let alone prevent the sound of battle from attracting others soldiers. Unlike the counts, that soldier was someone who was used to battle, as the scars on his face could witness.

Eldi doubted. If he were alone, perhaps he could try to distract him and reach the passage. But in the kitchen were father and daughter. He couldn't abandon them there.