Return to Jorgaldur Volume III: blood warrior

Face to face (III)

Krovledi had no time to breathe. Gjaki relied on A Thousand Lashes to pressure her, while preparing a Mental Push. However, her opponent decided to take more damage to counterattack.

Three Blood Spears appeared above the visitor, and headed towards her. They forced her to dodge, thus causing her spell to cancel. It gave her bruised opponent the chance to lunge at her, rapier in hand.

Gjaki didn't use any specific skills to dodge the blow. Instead, she relied on her Martial Arts. She took a step to the side, turned her body on her leg, and caught her enemy's arm once the attack passed by barely an inch. She took advantage of Krovledi's own speed to launch her to the ground. With the timed help of Premonition, it was easier to carry it out.

Her enemy fell backwards. Her arm was gripped by the silver-haired vampiress, and had been ripped by Scratch and Steel Claws. Although the worst thing was that Gjaki took the opportunity to attack with the other hand, with Spearhead, since she didn't have time to wield her weapons again.

Krovledi managed to move enough for the attack not to be fatal, but now she had a nasty, painful wound at her side. With great effort, she rolled away, and created a Blood Clone to stall for time and catch a breath.

Her enemy didn't hesitate to launch herself at her. She wielded both daggers, jumped, and her body began to rotate from the Drill's effect. Due to this, she passed through the Blood Clone, thus leaving a hole that made it impossible for the summon to continue standing.

Almost panicked, the normally arrogant vampiress jumped back to prevent the attack that had struck down her Clone from striking her down as well. Fearing for her life, she picked her collar and started to activate it, but something grabbed her leg. She couldn't use it while being held down.

Cluasde's body moved by itself, effect of Necromancy. Although she was weaker, slower and clumsier than when she was alive, and much weaker than her mother, her right hand was grasping the leg. With the other hand, that arrived shortly after, they were enough to hold her for a few moments, which could mean the difference between life and death.

Seeing the visitor speeding towards her, Krovledi lowered the defenses on her leg and cut it off with one of her hands, and the help of Scratch. Immediately, the gem in the necklace glowed, and she disappeared. It happened just moments before four Flying Daggers pierced through where her heart, her neck, her eye, and her leg had been.

"Shit, she's escaped," Gjaki cursed.

However, she had no time to mourn. Cluasde was dead, and many of her children were being hold by the mercenaries. Therefore, they had to take the opportunity to claim the mansion. They couldn't allow it to fall back into Krovledi's hands.

"Shit, shit, shit! Argh! Fuck! Why did she have to come back!?" Krovledi cursed.

She had returned to a room in her mansion, but the losses had been heavy. She would need years before her collar, her ace up her sleeve to escape any danger, would work again. Besides, Cluasde was dead, and she was badly injured, with one leg missing. Also, her valuable armor was damaged, and she had lost her favorite rapier.

While she could regrow her leg in a few weeks, it had been a complete disaster. Only once had she suffered such a catastrophic defeat, when she had lost the artifact that could free her. It had been in the hands of the same visitor.

"Why did she have to come back?" she cursed again.

It all made sense now, but it was too late. She didn't doubt that their defeat when attacking the mansion had been due to the visitor. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was involved in the deaths of her other children. The visitors had many and varied resources, and she had surely caught them by surprise.

Unfortunately for her, the revelation hadn't come in time. She wanted revenge, but now she wasn't ready to do so. It was something she had to plan carefully, or the visitor might follow her to the ends of the world. She decided that, for now, it was best to cut her losses.

"Fangorm, take the gate and come. Destroy it later. Our enemy is too powerful," she ordered. She had already lost too many children, and didn't want to lose more.

"But mother, I can't leave everything I've built behind," he protested.

"If you want, you can stay. However, if they have a way to block the gates, you won't get out alive. Our enemy is a visitor, and she's powerful enough to be on par with me."

The vampire swallowed hard. If his mother said that, it meant that the enemy was probably even stronger than her. He ran to collect his most valuable treasures, and took with him his closest associates. The portal was limited to five, and needed a week to recharge if those five spots were used.

He didn't bother to say anything to the rest. If they were going to die, at least they should defend the mansion for a few days.

"Well, do you want to be a count?" she offered to Shabeladag.

She didn't know if assigning a mercenary to manage the county was the best option, but she had no choice. Gjaki couldn't handle it, and she didn't know anyone else for the position. At least, she knew the mercenary.

"Are you serious!?" he asked, not quite believing it.

"Yes, but there're some conditions."

The mercenary looked at her carefully. He supposed she would demand a share of the profits. He just hoped that it weren't too high. To his surprise, Gjaki took out a map.

"These counties are now allies. In the same way, if we take the other mansion, and Lulorha wants to be countess, she'll also be an ally. No attacking each other. Kroveldi is alive, I don't want to give her a chance," she firmly decreed. "On the other hand, don't go too far with the people, they've already suffered enough. They can pay their taxes, but don't squeeze them too much. Don't enslave them either."

"Is that... That's all?" he asked, surprised.

Having allies was good for him. He hasn't had time to think about taxes. It should be enough if they could support his mercenaries, and had enough to get drunk with them. If he didn't have to pay to the vampiress, as the previous countess had had to do with her mother, he should have more than enough margin.

"I think so. I have no interest in the counties. It's enough if they aren't a disaster, and that they're beyond Krovledi's reach. Lulorha, the same conditions, so think about it. If we get the mansion, the county is yours if you want it."

Lulorha nodded, her heart pounding and her eyes sparkling. There wasn't much to think about.