Return to Jorgaldur Volume I: the battle mage

To the limit

Caranlín ordered to cover two of the holes, so the dwarf used his power to leave only one open. It is true that this would cause the underground beings to end up breaking the subsoil defense, but she estimated that it would take longer than their troops could withstand the offensive of their enemies.

Immediately, those in charge of the holes went to the battle front. Eldi, one of them, used Almost Thor to pounce on a strange creature somewhat smaller than a tiger, with six legs, and whose powerful jaws were severely damaged by the hammer.

The creature had managed to break an elf's weakened shield, knocking him back several meters. He was lying badly wounded on the ground, for his enemy's jaws had pierced his armor and penetrated his chest. Immediately, he was attended by the healers, who could do nothing but stabilize the wound, to prevent him from dying immediately. It was serious, but there were no more potions left, and too many wounded for little mana available.

The dangerous being had been momentarily stunned and confused, so the high human took the opportunity to attack with Crushing, leaving his dying enemy on the ground.

He didn't finish it, he let the other losts do it, while using Regenerate to the two closest allies. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds for his badly wounded enemy to be crushed by its own allies. Several smaller beings took their place, although no less dangerous. There were a wolf with two horns and skin protected by thorns; a snake several meters long and powerful fangs, and a termite a meter and a half tall, which was drooling a corrosive substance.

Eldi immediately attacked them with Earthquake, knocking them back. He then stepped back a couple of steps and summoned a Frozen Wall, taking advantage of the gap they had left. He hadn't recovered much mana, but it was enough to summon it.

He exchanged his position with other offensive warriors, more tired than him, but who could take better advantage of the situation. The enemies didn't hesitate to cross the Frozen Wall, but they were being slowed and damaged by it, so they were easy prey for the warriors, who attacked them while they were still going through the Wall.

Eldi then headed to another point where the defense was close to be broken. Using Kangaroo Power, he fell into the midst of the enemies, right in front of his allies, and immediately relied on Scatter to make some room for himself. He then switched weapons, holding the enemies for a few seconds with Dancing Axe, while his allies were rearranging just behind.

Five arrows were fired at him while he was using the skill. Three of them were repelled by Projectiles against me?, the fourth failed to pierce his defense, and the fifth pierced his shoulder, where his armor had previously suffered damage, so the arrow found a path

Clenching his teeth, he ripped it off while returning behind the protection of his allies, letting Regenerate do its job, while breathing heavily. He too was tired, and he could do little more than patching here and there the defenses that were collapsing, being able to only buy a little more time. The situation was desperate, and neither did he have much more reserves of mana or energy.

At the other end of the perimeter, two giants said farewell to the remaining enemy giant. They had returned it to the stone, and felt satisfied for it, although they weren't going to stop fighting until the end, an end that looked close. They were tired and full of wounds, like everyone else. Although their skin was extremely hard and thick, the corrupted beings had a high offensive power, especially the last one they had faced.

An arrow pierced the mouth of a big cat that was going to bite one of the elves, after being unbalanced by the breaking of her shield. The archer immediately picked up another arrow, looking for a suitable target for one of his now four last projectiles. Meanwhile, from the ground, the elf drew her sword and killed off the cat. She immediately stood up, to face the next enemy directly with her weapon, ignoring the cut on her face from which blood were dyeing her face red.

A mage knelt on the ground, exhausted, without mana. There was only one barrier left protecting them from projectiles. He looked at the wounded warriors who were getting up and, staggering, were heading toward the defensive perimeter, to die there.

It was then that a series of explosions were seen in the southeast, on the enemy troops. Many looked hopefully in the distance, knowing that it meant reinforcements had arrived.

"Not enough," Caranlín was discouraged, but she didn't let her thoughts be heard by others.

From the magnitude of the explosions, it was evident that there weren't enough forces, something that the enemy general also realized.

"Surround them!" it ordered greedily at the rear of its army.

It wanted to increase its merits, weakened by the large number of casualties suffered, so it decided to mobilize the troops that were idle.

The defenders, mostly oblivious that there were insufficient reinforcements, clenched their teeth to hold out a bit longer. Those who had practically surrendered clutched their weapons. And those who were going to sacrifice themselves to die in combat, decided to wait a little longer.

But that morale booster didn't give them more mana or energy, nor did it repair their weapons and armor, much less heal their wounds. Their situation would remain hopeless unless the reinforcements could break the siege to which they were subjected. Or that they succumbed, and everything would end

Eldi approached the wounded and used Band-Aid for Everyone twice, depleting his last mana reserve, and heading back to the front. A pair of warriors deemed it enough for them, so they scrambled to their feet to fight again, while the wounded remaining were barely able to move.

Immediately, the battle mage headed forward, giving a sword to a warrior who had lost his. It was only level 50, but it was all he could offer. The better ones had already been given.

Meanwhile, the reinforcements were aware that the enemy was surrounding them to prevent them from withdrawing, but they ignored them and continued to attack the front with their powerful spells, trying to reach their ambushed fellows while the warriors were defending them. They were amazed that those people had endured until now, but it was obvious they couldn't hold it much longer. They couldn't waste a second.