Return to Jorgaldur Volume I: the battle mage

Retaliation

On the third floor, there was what could be called mage skeletons. They weren't too different from the others, but they could cast dark magic spheres, besides possessing a spell that could damage in area (AoE). The latter was especially effective, since neither Dolgo nor Dikgo could prevent it from harming the three spoiled noblemen, who were too slow to react even when they were warned. And though Eldi healed them, they kept complaining about the pain over and over again.

When they weren't fighting, they kept bragging, boasting about their victories or their most despicable acts. Among them, the reason they had no healer. They had offered a lot of money, getting a healer to agree to go in the group. After a long day, Aljhon had insinuated something about the healer's daughter, who had seen them out at the entrance to the dungeon, which had led to an argument that had ended with the healer being beaten and tortured by the two mercenaries, and with his death, while the rest were mocking him. Then, they had thrown their corpse at the floor boss.

They had assured it had just been an accident in the battle against the floor boss, something that wasn't extremely rare. Since then, no other healer had wanted to join them, either because they didn't trust them, or simply because they didn't want to join a group unable to protect their healer.

It wasn't clear what was for Eldi the most difficult thing to assimilate. Maybe the total lack of empathy and morals. Or maybe that they were able to explain it in front of him without a second thought. He didn't know if they thought of him as one of their own, if they planned to get rid of him, or if they were just stupid and thoughtless. But even if it were the latter, the nobles' guardians might want not to leave loose ends, so they could be planning to get rid of him.

He didn't want to risk spending the night there with that group, so he decided to act as soon as he had a chance, something that didn't take long to happen. Drunk with flattery, and believing themselves invincible, they decided to follow the most direct path to the boss. Normally, the adventurers spend time on the floor, until they can defeat easily the monsters that are spawned there. Only then, they dare to challenge the boss.

However, the three noblemen had decided that they were already strong enough, and that they could do it, so their guardians couldn't oppose it.

Eldi watched as the three attacked without a plan, only using all their skills again, and how it wasn't too bad while the floor boss was focusing his attention on Dikgo, who was now the bait, while Dolgo was watching from the entrance. At least, it wasn't too bad until the skeleton launched the same area attack as the other monsters of that floor, but more powerful and with greater range.

The three noblemen were hit, so they left, complaining, calling Eldi to heal them, while Dikgo continued to draw the boss' attention, blocking it with the shield, and sometimes with the sword. He had also been injured, but it wasn't serious for him, due to his level, his armor, his resistance and his high number of health points.

However, Eldi didn't move. He was looking at those who were still fighting, as if he hadn't heard them, as if he hadn't realized that they needed him. That made Dolgo come running to Eldi.

"Hey! Are you deaf!? Go heal the lords right no... ugh."

A dagger covered in a paralyzing poison pierced his neck. Although it wasn't a weapon with which Eldi had affinity, the difference in levels was small, and the warrior hadn't taken any defensive measures, so the sharp edge was enough to overcome the flesh's resistance. His first instinct was to try to take it out, but a huge two-handed axe attacked his neck again, which was the most unprotected part of his body. At that time he wasn't wearing the helmet, so the protections were dropping over the armor.

"Dolgo!" Dikgo shouted.

But he couldn't stop fighting against his enemy. Even if it was more than ten levels below his, it didn't mean he could turn his back on it, so he started beating it hard to finish it as quickly as possible, or, at least, to push it away.

The three noblemen were watching the scene in disbelief, totally paralyzed, unable to react, while Eldi was approaching.

"Get away from them!" Dikgo shouted again, running towards Eldi and forgetting about the monster.

Eldi blocked him with the axe, at which point Dikgo understood that he wasn't just a low-level healer. Disguise had lost its effect, and Eldi had used Double Edge to attack his opponent, who only managed to partially dodge it. The damage wasn't high, since the armor stopped the attack, so the edge didn't get to cut its flesh.

"Get out of here and return with the portal! Send reinforcements!" he shouted to his bosses.

Not that he had great loyalty or love for them. In fact, in his eyes, they looked like spoiled children, whom he could handle, more or less. But if something happened to them, he would be killed. However, when they reacted and wanted to flee, they found a Rock Wall that was preventing it.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Eldi murmured, just before a sphere of energy hit the bodyguard.

The attack hadn't caused him serious damage, as the armor and his own defense protected him, but he couldn't afford to be attacked continuously from behind. In addition, the moment of hesitation had almost cost him a direct impact from the axe.

The floor boss hadn't moved from its place, and used its range attack against Dikgo, while the three noblemen didn't know what to do in front of a Rock Wall preceded by a Burning one

"Dammit! Attack him from behind while I do it from the front," he yelled at them.

Eldi blocked and attacked a couple of times using Double Edge, but in front of him there was an experienced warrior, about two levels higher than him. He was also numerically disadvantaged, although the huge skeleton was playing in his favor, at the moment.

"Now!" Dikgo shouted, giving the signal for the three to attack.

What they didn't expect was that their enemy had a skill like Dancing Axe. The mercenary hired to protect the noblemen didn't suffer much damage, as he quickly walked away, but the other three took longer to do so, and suffered numerous cuts. They had refused to wear full armor, and now their face and arms were paying for it.