Return to Jorgaldur Volume III: blood warrior

Return (I)

Suddenly, the lights shone brightly. While most had night vision, they liked light, but not that much.

Water from some open faucets spurted out with unusual force, and drenched a dwarf vampiress. Her screaming curses were what least surprised those who heard her.

Luckily, it wasn't lunchtime, but some cookies that were being baked became charred.

Everyone panicked. They hurriedly gathered their things and ran to the evacuation point, ready to go through the portal. They feared that this phenomenon was due to the mana core being at its limit, thus causing it to fluctuate. They feared that the time to leave had come.

The first to arrive saw Diknsa, who was running in a hurry. It was obvious that she was on her way to check it.

The rest that were arriving asked about her, and were informed of her whereabouts. However, after a while, despite the fact that everyone had already arrived, the head of the servants, without a doubt the highest authority in the mansion at that time, hadn't returned yet.

They didn't know what to do. On the one hand, the situation seemed to be stabilizing. The lights were slowly returning to their usual brightness. On the other hand, they feared that it would continue to fade until they were completely extinguished. Most importantly, the shield could fade too.

"She's taking too long. I'm going to see what's happening," Chornakish finally said, and headed to the stairs that led to the underground.

After those words, the one that was Gjaki's cow, the demihuman with an appearance between a human and a black cat, or perhaps a panther, speeded to the stairs. Diknsa had also been like a mother to him, and he was worried that something might have happened to her.

Diknsa hurried down the stairs. She needed to know what was going on as soon as possible, if the core was still operational. However, before arriving, she already realized that something strange was happening. The glare leaking out was much stronger than usual, as she hadn't seen in a long time.

She feared that something had happened to the core, even that it could explode. Therefore, she hurriedly opened the door. What was there rendered her speechless.

The gem was shinning as it had in the past, as if it were full of mana. Nothing seemed out of place, except that it was impossible. She didn't understand how, but she couldn't doubt what her eyes were showing her.

"Could it be what happens before losing all the power? Or has it really somehow regained its power? Maybe was there a mechanism for when the power ran out?" the vampiress wondered, but there was no way to get answers.

She stared at the gem, part stunned, part amazed, part attentive to any detail, any change in brightness. However much she looked at it, it seemed like the gem was just fine. It was like a dream come true.

Her attention was focused entirely on the gem, so she was unaware of a shadow that had appeared behind her.

Gjaki looked at her shakily. She was scared to face reality. Maybe, that vampiress with red skin and two smooth horns pointing to the sky wasn't what she remembered. She opened her mouth several times to say something, but each time Gjaki was unable to speak. She could get into a forest full of highly aggressive enemies, but this situation was too difficult for her.

Finally, she was able to barely utter a word. It was the only one capable of leaving her lips at that time.

"Mo... Mom?"

For an instant, Diknsa stood still, very still, paralyzed. Many times, she had thought she had heard that voice, and had found that there was just wall, a table, a window. She wanted so badly to hear what she knew was impossible, that Diknsa even saw her shadow or her reflection every moment.

So, when she finally turned around, she did so slowly, while trying to hold her heart. It couldn't be allowed to believe, or she would be let down again. She knew it was impossible, but couldn't help but turn toward the source of the voice that was just a figment of her imagination. It didn't matter if it was an absurd hope, she just did.

Therefore, when seeing the vampiress she had so many times wanted to see, Diknsa had a hard time believing it. She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her again. This time, it was more real than ever, but that didn't stop her from being false.

However, after blinking, she hadn't disappeared. Besides, she wasn't a vague image like in the past, but real, totally real. It was the same silver hair, which was tied this time in a long braid as she had seen on occasion. They were the same deep, glowing red eyes, which were beginning to be slightly moist. The same pointed ears. The same fangs, which were poking out as dangerous as they were adorable.

"Gjaki? Is it really you? My child?" she asked, not quite believing it.

In fact, at the same time as asking, she was cursing herself. It was impossible that she was there, that she had come back, that she appeared out of nowhere. Diknsa knew that she couldn't allow herself to be deceived by her dreams, by her illusions, not at that moment. Yet somehow her heart refused to listen to her mind.

"Mom!" the silver-haired vampiress exclaimed.

The last sentence had dispelled all her doubts. Without thinking, she threw herself into Diknsa's arms, no longer holding back her tears, and burying her face in the ample chest of her adoptive mother.

Diknsa hugged her without thinking. Without her noticing, her gaze had become blurry due to her own tears. Feeling her in her arms, feeling the warmth of her body, she had finally accepted what was supposed to be impossible. Her daughter had returned.

"How did you recharge the core?" Diknsa asked, once both had calmed down a bit, although they didn't stop hugging each other.

"I didn't. I've changed it," Gjaki smiled, while refusing to let her go.

"Ha, ha. You always do things like this. There's so much I want you to tell me... But I have to tell the others, that there's no longer any danger, that we no longer have to flee, that you've returned. Come on, let's go," she suggested as she took her hand.

However, Gjaki didn't move. She stood there, while looking uncertainly at the hand, at her adoptive mother, at the stairs.

Diknsa turned in surprise when she felt that her daughter's hand resisted moving. She looked strangely at the supposedly fearsome vampiress, but only took her a few moments to realize what was happening. She couldn't help but smile motherly, understandingly.

"The others have also missed you a lot. Come, they'll be glad to see you. Don't be afraid. We haven't forgotten you."