Chapter 64 - Finally 3/?

I stared at my friends with solemn eyes as I asked them to take my children away from here.

"I mean it guys, just leave me but please take them away from here. Digger has me under a blood seal that pretty much limits my power when it comes time for me to fight him, but I plan on giving you as much time to escape as I can."

They all just looked at me like I was crazy, some had looks of disbelief and others of sadness. Sondar walked up to me and punched me in the face. I didn't expect it to hurt but was shocked when the force behind it actually cracked my neck as it sent me stumbling back a couple of feet.

"YOU MORON, We all worked so hard for teh past year to come and save you. We have trained and trained to come take you away and rescue you, so even now we will not run no matter what you say." He looked at me with absolute resolve in his eyes.

I could only sigh as I stared at him then at the others. I was still unsure but they all held the same look as Sondar did so in the end I could only shake my head and smile.

"Thank you guys, it means alot to me. First order of business is getting to the cave where my other children are. Grayson is still there correct Michael?" I ask as I turn my head towards my son.

"Yes father, he is there and he is getting more anxious by the day. Do you think we can really escape with their help?" He  said as he nodded his head towards the group.

I shook my head. "I honestly don't know, but I do no for sure that with all of us together..... WE will sure give him a hell of a fight." I said as I smiled and walked down the tunnel.

"So Sondar, fill me in on everyones progress, how stroung did everyone get in my absence" I said while walking behind everyone. It was still a bit cramped walking with my huge body down the tunnels but thanks to my scales it was starting to slowly carve the cave out.

Sondar looked at me with a huge grin on his face. "Oh dude let me tell ya, so first off Kitsoma woke up I'm pretty sure as soon as that explosion went off way back when. Then she started slowly losing her confidence... but now she uses a whip and is a sadist." He said while laughing, only to get slapped on the back of the head by Sylvania.

"You ass.. No she isn't a sadist, but she has lost control over her fire magic." SHe said while looking back at Kitsoma who is listening but had looked down at the ground in shame.

"I have no doubt that she will pick it back up now that you're here, it's only a matter of time. But the others have grown aswell. Shorunt has learned and fully become a druid class hobgoblin. He is tremendous when it comes to healing, and he has even recently developed a skill where he can grow plants that produce orb like seeds that can hold various elements."

"Konna has pretty much become a berserker, and Liosa has developed a relationship with Howy and those 2 have learned differing skills that enhance their scouting. Liosa learned how to manipulate shadows while Howy learned to manipulate light." 

I was a bit wide eyed when he said that as I could faintly remember that I had something I had to learn utilizing the light element. But I forgot what it was so I just left that thought be.

"So what about hannah oh and the prisoners I left in your care." I asked hoping for good news.

I was still smiling but it quickly left when I saw that those 3 looked down and couldn't meet my eyes. Kitsoma looked back up and spoke.

"Out of the prisoners that you left with us only Hannah, the 2 raccoon brothers, and your brother Gaia had remained. The others all decided to leave. We don't think they survived after they left." 

I was a bit upset after hearing that but I knew that not all of them had what it took to survive, even if they were provided with the means to do so.

"I'm thankful that you guys stepped up in my place.... I'm sorry I left you guys alone for so long." 

"Yea.... But anyways, Hannah had learned how to summon the spirits of the dead and can control them. She's pretty much a necromancer but she can use other elements aswell. I even saw her trying to copy one of your moves while training, You remember your lightning slash move... well she took the same concept but she incorporated her own power and could produce a sort of corrosion attack. I was scared since I was her sparring partner but man was I impressed." Sondar said with a proud tone in his voice.

"Yea and the boys are strong aswell. Jasper uses the Ice element and uses it to bolster his defenses when fighting. He even created his own style of shield combat that is nigh impenetrable. Victor has developed as a spear wielder and can use the lightning element, him and his brother have combined their styles of fighting that are deadly even when facing off against a group by themselves. Victor is protected by Jasper while Jasper has Victor to attack, the only time I seen such coordination is when the twins use their magic together to fight."

"That sounds awesome and so... what about my brother? Has he grown stronger?"

This time Gaia spoke up and turned around to speak.

"Yes, Vexsus I have, I can't say for sure if I can be as strong as you but I can say that out of the group rankings I am within the top 4." He said with a huge smile on his face.

"Group Ranking? Did you guys actually fight eachother to see who was strongest?" I said questioningly.

"Well duh ofcourse we would. Everyone was doing so good that I thought it could be a good use of time and even possibly expand on how we use our skills." Sondar said.

The rest of the group nodded as they all agreed with some having smiles on their faces while others could only nod and wryly smile.

"So.... Don't leave me in suspense whose number 1?"

"Well your looking at him." Sondar said beaming.

"I should have known you would win. and the rest?" I asked while looking at the others.

"So second place is...." 

Before Sondar could say anything else I heard a loud explosion from up ahead and felt the whole tunnel start to shake.

"Father up ahead. I feel Grayson is fighting something and he isn't restraining himself." 

"Shit.... OK everyone, its about to get hectic lets go." I said as we all started running towards where the explosion sound came from.

As we get to the cave where the rest of my children are I look with wide eyes filled with terror as I see 8 huge Royal guards attacking and massacring my children in droves. I saw that they were fighting back but in the end would die while barely hurting the guards. Even my son Grayson who was fighting one by himself was taking serious damage as he was trying to shield some of the weaker dragon ants from harm.

I was stunned by what I saw until I saw a humanoid covered in a cloak walking through the dead bodies with a look of disgust on her face.

"Hmph, these abominations... atleast they aren't getting experimented on by Digger anymore." She said as she keeps walking. She then get to where Grayson is and stands in front of him while he is heavily panting while greenish red blood runs down his body.

"Ahh if it isn't Vexsus second successful hybrid... I believe he named you Grayson right? Well not like I give a shit about what an abomination like you is called. You can just thank me for ending your miserable excuse of an existence." She said as she stepped forward again.

He stared at her before smiling. He hadn't seen me coming so what he said next made me feel so proud of him.

Standing up and smiling through the pain he stared straight at her and said. "You are nothing but a sorry excuse for a mother. Even if you can kill me now my father will find you and completely destroy you and your so called Royal guards. My father is the one who raised me to be as strong as I am not you, you who looks at me with such disgust could never be my mother." 

He looks back towards the ones behind him and smiles at them. "I want you 5 to go find father. I will hold them off for aslong as I can." He then turns back to Antasia with a look of resolve in his eyes. His body starts to exude mass amounts of fiery mana before he yells.

"LET'S GOOO YOU BASTARDS, SEE IF YOU CAN KILL MY FATHERS STRONGEST SON!" He then charges at her but just as he leapt off the ground at her she waved her hand and a wave of wind seemed to slice through the air and impacted across his chest. 

"AGHH!" he screamed and I was shaken from my daze. My eyes turned red with anger and I flashed from my spot to where he landed.

"Grayson please speak to me are you still alive?" I asked as I picked him up while looking over his body. His chest was slashed open with a deep gash and blood was spurting out. His body was covered in acid burns and I could see parts of his body had scales and skin burnt and bubbled.

He groaned weakly before opening his eyes barely and looking at me. "Father.... I knew you would come...." He muttered weakly before collapsing again and going limp.

My mind clouded with rage as I held my limp son in my hands.. His body unnaturally already getting colder. 

"SHORUNT GET OVER HERE AND HEAL HIM... THE REST OF YOU RESCUE THE CHILDREN STILL BREATHING AND GET AWAY AS FAR AS YOU CAN!!!" I yelled as I turned my head towards Antasia.

She was still standing there in the same spot with her hand still hovering in the air. Her eyes were wide with fear and her body was trembling. 

She started to stumble backwards as she spoke. "Vex..Vexsus, Why-why-Why are you here... Your supposed to be a feral beast locked up in the arena... You shouldn't be here." She kept saying as she backed up and hid behind her guards.

"I guess I'm just unlucky I suppose.. I was in the middle of eating a kill when all of a sudden I became sane again and met my friends..... I was so happy up until a few moments ago Antasia." I said with a cold look in my eyes as I walked slowly towards her. Her Guards didn't move an inch as I released my Draconic aura towards them, their natural instinct knew that what was infront of them was something they could never hope to defeat.

"Why Antasia?" Was all I asked as I stopped infront of her guards with her still trying to stumble away from me.

"Why did you kill my children, your children? I will not let this slide." I said and with a simple slash I sent one of the guards hurtling through the air and it exploded upon contact with the wall of the cave. A large crater filled with pieces of shell and guts was all that remained.

She saw this happen and screamed in horror. "I"M SORRY, I'M SO SORRY, PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON ME PLEASE... IT WAS DIGGER YEA IT WAS HIM THAT MADE ME DO THIS, I SWEAR IT WAS ALL HIM!" She said while on her knees begging for mercy.

I slammed my huge paw down on the other guard in front of her and smashed it into the ground just as easily as the I swatted the other one. My strength was surging and growing the angrier I became.

"You think that after you decimated 2/3 my kids that I would let you live? You are wrong you pathetic creature. I will take my time killing you, I will make sure that before you die, you will feel the death of the 200 that you killed mercilessly, I am actually baffled that you can still beg for mercy when just a few moments ago you stood above my son and acted as if killing him was a favor. I promise you won't enjoy this.." I said as I leaned down closer and closer to her face.