I woke up feeling slightly refreshed, that is until I felt a knife slide gently to rest along my throat.
"Our brother will see you know little brother." It was the voice of Marico. She withdrew the knife after making a small cut just as a show of how easily she could have ended my life.
"I get it, now just take me to him." Not even getting to washup or anything I was escorted away from the building and through the village towards a cave in the nearby hills that led down into the earth. I was a bit confused as to why that gleaming golden prick would want to hide himself but hey to each their own... I guess.
Once we reached the cave entrance only me and Marico descended after Marico made sure that the ones guarding the entrance would keep anybody away until we were done.
"Don't you think you're all taking me to lightly? I have been through some stuff since last we saw eachother..."
"Haha, you're still just the same weak little dragon but just with a new coat of paint. Nothing has changed." My dear dear sister said as she was certain that I hadn't changed all that much. Little did she know that I wasn't really here to fight, I just wanted to get my daughter back after all this time and try and live in peace for a little bit before the war actually starts. Maybe catch a few more skills, maybe some more babies who knows. Either way I was done being an errand boy and always on the move.
But shaking those thoughts away I focused up as we neared a giant golden door that was detailed to look like 2 dragons that met in the middel and blew fire upwards. The door knockers were a set of claws from each dragon that dangled with 4 claws clutching an orb. Marico went to knock but before she could a voice rang out from behind it.
"Enter Vexsus, let me get a good look at my little runt of a brother after all this time."
The doors opened to reveal a hall filled with gold and gems and trinkets, all of it was in heaps and piles all the way up to a throne big enough for a house to be built on and upon it sat a giant golden dragon that had barely opened eyes. The door shut behind me and when I looked back I saw two dragonoids but their scales were a mashup of red and gold scales.
"I see you made a couple kids of your own there brother... oh and its big brother to you all. How many times do I have to say that. I was born first so therego I am oldest. But enough cutting cunt hairs, I'm here on an errand from your dear friend Necro. He says it's time to pay up."
At first Aurum had a look of anger at the big brother thing, then once I mentioned Necro his whole attitude changed. It went from anger to worry in a heartbeat and I could almost feel the panic ooze out of him.
"N-N-Necro? W-W-WHy did he send you? WHy didn't he show up himself? Marico go get the others right now. As for you take a seat and stay quiet."
A chair magically formed from the nearby gold and I was forced to sit down and had golden shackles form onto my arms and legs.
Marico ran out with a dash into the shadows and after a few minutes the rest of my siblings came rushing through the doors. All of them were in Dragonoid form except for Aurum and they were all different shades of Green. That or they had a polka dotted scales that corresponded with an element. I used Analyze as they walked past me without even a second glance.
The other two Latius and and Tyrole had the same screen popup except Latius had Water creation and Tyrole had Fire creation. I was really impressed that they brought their respective element to such a high degree of control to actually be able to create it. But either way I was still waiting for the juicy bits that were coming up.
"Brothers and sisters.... Necro has sent and errand boy to collect upon our agreement." Aurum spoke after the little group calmed down.
"But didn't he guarantee atleast 5 years? Maybe even 10 if his plans succeeded? Why did we give up our grandfathers soul if he was going to back out now?"
Fucking excuse me? This was a bit of a shock to the system but I had to here more to figure out what exactly happened before I make a decision.
"Calm down Salus, I will talk to Necro shortly and figure out what's going on. He did say the war was getting ever closer and he could very well just need able bodies to fight or atleast guard his territory, we can send the newly trained fighters to act as fodder while we stay here. But first I would like to introduce a long lost family member.... Welcome back Vexsus..."
Aurum then presented me like some kind of winning prize as the golden chair seemed to levitate and move infront of the others. Before I could say anything a damn golden gag was forced over my mouth like a muzzle. I was really getting annoyed with how much this guy liked gold.
They were all surprised, well except for Marico and Aurum, I guess they were kept in the dark about my appearance in the village. Or they were off doing who knows what while I strolled in yesterday.
"Oh my, it looks like little Vexsus has grown up some, Maybe I should take a peak at whats inside and see if he has any disfunctions that were left over from him being a runt..." Salus seemed to almost drool at the thought of dissecting me. I got a bit pissed to think he would openly talk to me like that but to be fair it has been a couple of years and currently I'm hiding my power for that scare factor.
"Now, now, I think we should have a little sparring match with little Vexsus here, Let's see how strong he's become before we jump right to figuring out what makes him tick." Tyrole jumped in and suggested and judging by how his body is built like a muscle man, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he turned into a huge meathead who lives for fighting.
"I think we should study his powers first, we all know he was unique when we were younger. but now it seems he has aged faster than the rest of us. If I'm not mistaken he gives off the scent of atleast a couple decades if not more. Something had to of happened that drained his life force from him, I want to figure that out if you'll let me that is Aurum." Jaspin said as both him and Latius were busy scanning me with an almost scientific gaze as if they found a new problem to work out.
"No one will do anything to Vexsus until the deal with Necro has been settled. He will stay here in my chambers until such time that it has been dealt with. Now I need you all to go out and collect some suitable soldiers incase Necro is just looking for fodder for his army." Aurum quickly shut all talks of me being a Guinea Pig down but quickly got my attention when he said I would be staying here. The way he talked made it seem like I would be here for a while and that was definitely a no go.
I wasn't going to stay here and pander to the peanut gallery any longer than I needed to... So next best option was to hurry this along. I knew Necro planted something on me to keep track of me since that was something I figured an evil villain like him would do but I didn't pay any attention to it since it didn't harm me or benefit me in any way.... Until now that is. I used my mana to scan my body and soon I fould a scale on my body that gave off a slightly different hue than the rest, it was almost imperceptible but a faint layer of what looked like dark smoke seemed to cover it. Almost like a mirage in the desert but just barely more realistic. I sent mana into the scale and soon enough the dark smoke grew and grew as the color darkened and out came a billowing black fog.
"VEXSUS WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WHAT DID YOU DO?" Aurum screamed at me but hey I was gagged, so I just shrugged at him and muttered, "Mhm?"
The siblings all gathered in a circle around Aurum and watched with bated breath as from the dense black fog a figure slowly materialized. A form over 6 meters in height that was covered in bleach white bones and a helmet that only showed blood red irises. On the beings back was a greatsword that just oozed death and despair as it's gauntlet covered hands swiped and blew away the remaining fog.
After stretching for a second the figure looked at me and smiled. "About time you noticed my little tracker Vexsus, But good timing either way."
It then looked towards Aurum and the siblings. "Now, down to brass tax. Aurum, I come bringing bad news, I failed in reviving you're grandfather, but I succeeded in creating a very powerful undead hehehe. Either way I now have a capable guardian for my personal guard and I have come to request some of your finest warriors to be apart of my army... Well let's say mercenaries really since I don't plan on turning them into undead.... Unless they die that is."
"Ahem... Lord Necro, It's a pleasure as always, and as I'm sure you heard through whatever means you were attached to Vexsus, we are about to begin the process of rounding up said warriors. Just give us a little time and we will have them sent over as soon as possible." Aurum instantly went from arrogant ass to sniveling brown noser in a span of miliseconds.
"Why yes, I did hear a mention of possible 'Cannon Fodder', but No. What I want is your very best warriors, I want your elites, the Veterans who have withstood the battles of ages, Those are the ones I want boy. Don't try to cheat me out of what's owed, I gave you the chance to rule this piss pot of a village, and in return you do what I want, when I want, got it? Or do I have to take away my 'gift'." Necro said that last word as if he was alluding to something special that is only known by the parties involved.
"No,no,no,no,no. Lord Necro please, I swear nobody would dare think to send you such a disgrace, just give me a bit more time and I will be on my way with the shipment I promise." Aurum had turned into a golden Dragonoid that stood barely up to the figures knees and even took to kowtowing before it.
"Good, good, Now as for your siblings, I believe one of them should do just fine as a starter... How about the one who gives off a powerful aura of a warrior? I believe you call him Tyrole? He will do nicely as an upfront payment."
"Certainly my lord Necro." Aurum with gritted teeth in the shape of a subservient smile got up and bowed before turning to a wide eyed and shocked Tyrole.
"You heard Lord Necro, you will be the first warrior to join his army as a mercenary, hurry up and get prepared and come back here with haste."
Tyrole only stood there for a few seconds before shaking his head and only giving Aurum a glance before leaving the chamber. He looked at me for a second with an angered gaze as if to blame me for the situation he was now in. Like I gave a shit what happened to them, I remember one point in time I was either going to eat them or make them my slaves.
Aurum turned to me about this time and with a wave of his hands the chair, shackles, and gag all dissolved and moved back to the pile of gold like a liquid.
"You're free to go. You came to delive the message and you have so get out of my village. I will permit you to say goodbye to mother and father but do not take your time, I will sent Marico and Salus with you to make sure."
"Eh eh eh, Vexsus is my errand boy, you don't get to command him like I do..... But for now you are correct. Vexsus call for me through the usual way and I will deliver my promise." The figure that was possessed by Necro said as it waved it's hands and a ghastly pale smoky portal appeared and I was rushed through it by an unknown force. Once I appeared on the other side I was outside my mother and fathers cave with my followers and Gaia already awaiting me. Mother was outside gardening and I could sense Father just inside the shadows watching from within.