Return to Jorgaldur Volume III: blood warrior

Consequences

Kan Golge was furious. He wasn't used to his plans failing, at least not so badly. His envoy in Kronardhi County had died, as the explosion of her bloodstone revealed. While it was only a temporary setback, it had delayed his plans to retrieve his valuable soldiers.

In the past, he had put a lot of effort into creating them, many resources. Many maneuvers and intrigues had been needed to capture their victims, and a great effort to corrupt them, to transform them into his pawns.

Unfortunately, most of them had been sealed away, after he barely escaped with his life. After much investigation, he had managed to find out that they were in the Kronardhi county dungeon. Therefore, he had been making plans to infiltrate there, to get hold of the key the count owned, and to get them back.

However, not only had they failed, but they had lost one of his remaining soldiers. He had lent it to ensure the success of the mission. It was the ace up their sleeve to get rid of the count, and replace him with his subordinates. He didn't understand how, but it had been eliminated.

Even after several days, he remembered the pain. Although he had lent it, it was still linked to him. Because of that, he had felt as if part of his soul had been ripped out.

He felt immense fury, but also anguish. Not knowing who and how it had happened made him fear that powerful enemies were after him.

Suddenly, his thoughts stopped. A familiar feeling began to grow in his chest. One that he had felt rather recently.

"No, it can't be... AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

He fell to his knees and then to the ground, while clutching his chest, pressing it hard with his arms. For almost a minute, the pain was excruciating, as it had been some days ago.

He half sat up while panting and recovering from the intense pain. Although his look was more of disbelief.

"Another soldier has been killed? How is it even possible?" he asked himself.

However, there was no doubt. He had felt for an instant the presence of the blood knight as the seal was broken, and then as it disappeared forever. He knew when it had happened, he had an idea where, but he didn't know who or how.

"Skygge!" he called, by yelling through the bond.

A level 50 vampire soon arrived. He was reptilian, which made him suitable for the mission.

"My Lord. What are your orders?"

"Go to Kronardhi county. Your mission is to gather information. Keep an eye out for any news about the count's brother or the dungeon. Go immediately!"

"Yes, my lord."

Kan Golge watched him go. Shortly after, he managed to control his fury, and went back to review his plans. He had on his hands one of the most important jobs until then. For the first time, there was an opportunity to infiltrate the Guardians of the North. Perhaps, he could even destroy their foundations, attack the very essence of life.

"My dear, you seem restless. Trust your children," Krocal tried to comfort his wife.

"I know, I know, but... So many things have happened... The death of the prince. The fall from grace of that Drigca. They asked us for the key, but didn't want to talk about their companion," a red-skinned reptilian, like her daughter, answered.

The count smiled. His almost two meters muscular body hugged the countess. In fact, he had been just as tense as her a few minutes ago.

"I just got some good news. They're fine," he assured.

She broke away from the hug, turned around, and looked him in the eye, thus demanding all the information. He returned her gaze, without erasing his smile. He didn't always manage to get information before her, and surprise her.

"Some adventurers came out of the dungeon recently. Apparently, they had a small clash with the group of Kroco and Kroquia. The most interesting thing is that it was the mysterious friend who created the most problems for those adventurers. It seems she provoked them in the rest area, and one of them even tried to attack her. Of course, he suffered the consequences. Ha, ha. I don't know her, but I'm starting to like her," the count explained.

"Well played, she's smart. What else do you know?"

"We've barely gotten any more information from the adventurers party. Probably, the relationship with that friend is good. The most surprising thing is that they've reached the fourth floor."

"The fourth floor!? So soon!?" she was stunned.

"There's something else," Krocal continued.

His wife looked at him a little nervously. The reptilian's face had taken on a serious, solemn countenance.

"The monitoring group has discovered something. The seal on the third floor has been broken. The evil has vanished."

The Countess's eyes widened so much they seemed to pop out of her head. She stared at her husband with her long reptilian mouth open, not knowing what to say.

The evil that her husband had spoken of was of an unknown nature, and they had never been able to get close enough. They only knew that it mustn't break free. That they mustn't let the enemies of the living come near. Whoever they were. It was a potential and hidden threat on their lands.

Now, one of those threats was gone. Evidently, their children were hiding something from them. They only knew that they had been asked for the key. There was also that friend who had helped them against their cousins and uncles, against vampires.

What was clear to both of them was that, when they returned, they weren't going to let them escape without a clear explanation.

Drigca walked alone into the jungle. After what had happened, she couldn't go back home. In fact, there was no longer a home to return to. She knew her mother would give her up, sacrifice her to save herself. The death of the prince was too serious a matter.

She didn't understand how it had all gone so wrong. Someone or something had intervened, killed the prince, and lay the blame on her. The confusion and chaos had made it impossible to discover who or how. She suspected that someone in the prince's entourage, perhaps an agent of one of his brothers, had been the culprit. Nonetheless, she had no more than that, suspicions.

Drigca had believed that she could cause trouble for her rival, and had ended up causing her own downfall. Her only choice was to abandon her identity and her ambitions, leave her former life behind forever, and go to a place where no one could recognize her.

She would soon be one of the most wanted criminals in the empire. Her best option was to escape to another country, although she was aware that she would have to wait. For a time, the borders would be watchful, searching for her. She needed a place to hide.