Return to Jorgaldur Volume III: blood warrior

Blood Knight (I)

It was clear that the situation wasn't in their favor. If she wanted to, with Darkness and Climb, and while taking advantage of the shadows of that small gorge, the vampiress had a great chance of escaping with her life. In fact, in an intense hand-to-hand fight, she and the two warriors might survive, but it was almost impossible for the rest.

So, she settled on the only option she could think of. She wasn't sure if it would be a good idea, but she had no more.

"Krongo, we have to kill those in front of us as soon as I drop the smoke bomb. The rest of you hide with Kroco, after eliminating those in sight. Kroquia, you too," the vampiress suddenly ordered.

"Smoke bomb?" Krongo asked, puzzled.

The answer was two spheres thrown at each end. On impact, black smoke rose from them. They were game items, which had been of little use back then, and which she had only bought out of curiosity.

They didn't know what their companion was up to, but they had almost blind trust in her. They had seen her do too many strange things not to believe that she had another ace up her sleeve.

The armored warrior fell back, while the light warrior and the vampiress fought fiercely against the eleven remaining, while the archer supported them. The rest of the saurians had backed away, as they feared that unknown smoke.

They soon realized that it wasn't dangerous, that it only clouded their vision, besides that it was dissipating. Therefore, soon they began to cross it. However, their prey had disappeared.

They approached to meet two new Tentacle traps, of which they had already seen their effect several times. So, they kept their distance after five of them were caught. Two of them managed to move back with hardly any injuries, while a third was devoured by their companions as it was leaving.

They looked from one side to the other, but found nothing. There were only a few arrows, and the bones of their fellows, which had already been devoured by them. In the end, they decided to go back and search the surroundings to no avail. Until the sun began to hide, and they had no choice but to leave.

"They're gone," Gjaki announced, and dispelled the Shadow Protection inside which they had been hiding.

Her wounds had healed, and she had mended her clothes. Fortunately, in the darkness of the gorge, the sun had hardly affected her.

The rest got up immediately. They had thanked her enough while they were in hiding, and they were in a hurry. Everyone had been able to check the precarious condition of their brother or friend. In addition, they had been able to rest for more than an hour, even half sleep. It was a luxury they hadn't been able to enjoy for too many hours.

Gjaki led the group again. They weren't far from the limit, from the barrier that acted as an alarm. There, they might find the troops guarding the place, and almost certainly a healer.

They hardly had any troubles. The limits of the savanna were the busiest area and, therefore, the one with the fewest dangers. However, shortly after crossing a river, the vampiress stopped in her tracks.

Her Bats hadn't discovered anything, nor had she seen it. However, she was feeling a dangerous presence. Since the vampiress had come to that world, she had never felt something like this. She didn't quite understand the feeling, only that something was stalking them.

"I don't know what, but there's something here," she announced to the rest.

They all looked from side to side. They didn't have the strong feeling of their companion, but they did feel a strange uneasiness.

"Ha, ha, ha, very perceptive, but it's too late," a male voice was heard.

"Well, it seems that they have escaped from your kids. Too bad they won't be able to go further," a female voice sentenced.

Along with the voices, a barrier was erected, thus preventing them from escaping. They were trapped, and two figures appeared before them.

"Uncle? What does this mean?"

"Only your death. It's a nuisance to have to take care of you personally, but also a blessing. This way, you'll serve as a sacrifice, and save us some work.

Gjaki frowned. That reptilian was level 62. The woman was 74. They had no chance against them.

"How can you do this? Father will never forgive you!" Kroquia insisted.

"Ha, ha. Your father will come looking for you, and he'll fall into the trap. You have to be proud, your sacrifice will help us set it. Ha, ha," her uncle mocked her.

"They're vampires," the vampiress confirmed in a whisper.

She now understood that it was their presence what she had felt. What she didn't know was how to get out of it.

"Honey, it's about time," the woman said. She was also a reptilian, but with more human features.

"True. May your blood serve to revive the blood knight!" he announced.

An altar appeared in front of the two vampires. It exuded an aura of death. On it, there were enough bones to form a complete skeleton. An armor and a great sword lay on the ground.

A dark aura condensed on the bones, before the terrified gaze of the ezihuq who were next to the vampiress. They had nowhere to escape.

Little by little, the bones were sorted, thus forming the skeleton of a blurred figure between black and red.

"It's incomplete," Gjaki thought.

She had seen them in the game. They could reach level 90, for which they needed the blood of sacrifices of that level, or many more from lower levels. Once summoned, even if they were just standing still, they sucked the blood of any being less than half their level, several meters away, except from those capable of controlling blood. Furthermore, they could absorb the blood they touched directly even from higher levels beings.

They were extremely fierce, immune to pain, and subservient to their lord. They carried out any order without question, with absolute obedience.

That one, in particular, was at level 77, since it wasn't yet complete. Still, it was more than enough to finish them off. However, the vampiress smiled.

"If they'd attacked us directly, we wouldn't have had a chance, but now..." she told herself.

Her companions were feeling their blood boil. They couldn't stand, as a sharp pain invaded every particle of their body. The blood was being called, and began to leave them. It was passing little by little through their veins and through the pores of their skin.

It was an extremely inhumane process, which caused them excruciating pain. It had barely begun, and they couldn't help but scream.

Yet for some reason, Gjaki didn't seem to be affected. To the surprise of her enemies, instead of writhing in pain, she advanced towards the altar.