Return to Jorgaldur Volume III: blood warrior

Weddings and farewells

The disappearance of the two goblins caused some commotion, and some pointed the vampiress, but she had a perfectly verifiable alibi. The only thing that was known was that they had come out on their own.

It wasn't hard to track them down, although they were confused to see footprints of an unknown animal, perhaps similar to a wolf or a jackal. No doubt one or more of those animals had attacked them, and dragged them away. The trail ended next to a huge spider web, so the conclusion was obvious.

A group of hunters attacked the spider. They still hoped to find the goblins alive, but only the corpses were found. They were surprised not to find any trace of the supposed wolves, but concluded that the beasts had escaped, or had already been eaten.

They could only blame their recklessness and bad luck for the death of the two goblins. Even more than one suspected that they were up to something, although that was already unimportant.

Any suspicions about the vampiress were soon forgotten. Not only did no one know that she could summon Blood Hounds, but she had been in sight most of the time. Although, if they had suspected, they could have done little against her. However, she didn't want to cause problems for Tili and her tribe.

The death of the two goblins was an unfortunate event, but it didn't shock up the goblins. Accidents weren't something foreign to the life of the tribes. In fact, the presence of the vampiress in many hunts had minimized the number of these.

So, the penultimate day had the festive atmosphere that was supposed to close the meeting. It was the day of the wedding of several couples, Tili and Tado among them.

Most of the outfits were more sophisticated than usual, but Gjaki's friends' ones were especially flashy. Not a few looked at them with some envy. In addition, on their necks hung two identical necklaces, the origin of which was easy to guess. The chain was silver, and held a precious blood-red stone. Adorning the gem, on either side, there were two black bat wings.

Not only was it a peculiar and unique ornament, but it could protect them from imminent danger. In the past, she had made them in the game with Eldi help, and had given them away to the inhabitants of the mansion. There had been some leftovers.

Furthermore, its only function wasn't that of protection. If it was activated and the wearer was in danger, she would know.

"I guess it doesn't matter anymore if I'm underage," she said to herself.

After the wedding, there had been a banquet, dances, and games. Gjaki was tasting an alcoholic drink for the first time. It was made from various fruits, and was quite sweet. Its alcohol content was similar to wine.

After the third drink, she began to feel somewhat euphoric, but Frozen Heart was able to nullify the effect while it was active. So, she decided not to continue drinking. If she got drunk, given the level difference and her abilities, there was a possibility of causing some serious trouble.

Lika was with her boyfriend, and Tili and Tado had disappeared. It wasn't hard to guess where they were or what they were doing, since they weren't the only newlywed couple to have disappeared. Certain giggles and gossip could be heard here and there about the new couples.

Gjaki blushed slightly at the thought, so she tried not to think about it. Luckily, she soon ended up being kidnapped by several acquaintances, and forced to teach several goblins how to play a certain card game. Some were starting to plan on making their own decks, but for now, Gjaki was the only one who owned one. In fact, more than one.

Needless to say, she won most of the games. Some goblins might be clever and quick learners, but she had far more experience. There were also some additional eyes that let her know the hand of her opponents.

Perhaps, at some point she felt guilty about cheating, but the temptation was great, and it was too easy. Besides, she had to maintain her honor, or so she told herself to comfort herself.

The next day, it was time for goodbyes. Some goblins left their tribe to go to others, and some couples not yet consolidated temporarily separated. Also, some who had been reunited with their relatives said goodbye again, and many friends were making plans for the next year.

She only stayed one more day. Gjaki felt comfortable in that place, but she couldn't forget about her mansion and its residents. She needed to level up, and that was something she couldn't do there.

So, she once again bid farewell to the goblins, and promised to return in the future. She also promised to spoil Tili's children, with the intention of teasing her, which was extremely effective.

Finally, she left the place and went to the beginner's village. She was loaded with a lot of sweets, though there were a couple less than when she had left. After arriving safely to the cave, she activated the green circle. In just an instant, she appeared at the beginner's village.

The Oracle was still there, but they didn't provide her with any useful information about the red area, so she headed to the red circle to check it out for herself. There were still a few hours left in the night, and she wanted to see what could be found there.

It was supposed to be a zone between 25 and 34, which made it the optimal spot for leveling up. It also involved some dangers, but those dangers didn't scare her.

Her other option was a dungeon, which appeared on the virtual map, and where she had been in the game. However, it had some drawbacks. Its starting level was 35, which was a bit high for her, plus it was far away, and she didn't know how to get there. A dot on the map indicated the dungeon, but not its surroundings, be it roads or mountains.

To top it off, in the game, it was in an inhabited area, which made it a bit awkward for her. A vampiress wouldn't be very welcome, thus forcing her to disguise herself. For now, the red area was her best bet.

Once again, she appeared in a cave protected by an invisible shield. Without hesitation, she went to the other end to find out if what was on the other side was like in the game.